The History and Philosophy of Social Science

This landmark book proves that it is possible to make the history of the social sciences enjoyable to read whilst also meeting the most exacting scholarly standards. Scott Gordon provides a magisterial review of the historical development of the social sciences from their beginnings in renaissance Italy to the present day. He examines the problems that the great thinkers have confronted in their attempts to construct systematic theories of social phenomena. At the same time, he presents an authoritative survey of the major writers in the fields of economics, sociology and political science. Separate chapters are devoted to the nature of sociality, the idea of harmonious order, the conflict between progress and perfection, the methodology of history, and the relation between biology and the social sciences. In conclusion, he examines the main lines of thought that have developed since the breakdown of logical empiricism. This bold new synthesis of the different traditions in the social sciences is at once a major contribution and a superb overview.