On the Foundations of Social Science Research
-
Dennis C. Mueller
Abstract
Is it possible that all of the social sciences could employ a common methodology? If so, what would it be? This article adresses these questions. It takes off from James Coleman’s recent book, The Foundations of Social Theory. Coleman’s social theory is built on the postulate that individuals are rational actors, the same postulate that most of modern economics is built upon. This article critiques the use of this postulate in economics, and thus questions whether it is a useful building block for the methodological foundations of social science research. It proposes an adaptive view of human behavior as an alternative in which preferences are conditioned by past experience. The work of Joseph Schumpeter is discussed as an exemplar of the methodology advocated here.
© 1992 by Lucius & Lucius, Stuttgart
Articles in the same Issue
- The Vision of Foundations of Social Theory
- ‘Foundations of Social Theory’ oder ‘Foundations of Sociology’?
- Micro-Macro Transitions in Rational Choice Explanations
- The Street-Level Epistemology of Trust
- Altruismus, Moralität und Vertrauen
- Eine Notiz über die Stabilisierung von Vertrauen durch eine Mischung von wiederholten Interaktionen und glaubwürdigen Festlegungen
- On the Foundations of Social Science Research
- Die Auflösung des Sozialen
Articles in the same Issue
- The Vision of Foundations of Social Theory
- ‘Foundations of Social Theory’ oder ‘Foundations of Sociology’?
- Micro-Macro Transitions in Rational Choice Explanations
- The Street-Level Epistemology of Trust
- Altruismus, Moralität und Vertrauen
- Eine Notiz über die Stabilisierung von Vertrauen durch eine Mischung von wiederholten Interaktionen und glaubwürdigen Festlegungen
- On the Foundations of Social Science Research
- Die Auflösung des Sozialen
