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The philosophy of the social sciences considers the underlying explanatory powers of the social (or human) sciences, such as history, economics, anthropology, politics, and sociology. The types of question covered include the methodological (the nature of observations, laws, theories, and explanations) to the ontological—whether or not these sciences can explain human nature in a way consistent with common-sense beliefs. This publication is a major, comprehensive look at the key ideas in the field, guided by several principles. The first is that the philosophy of social science should be closely connected to, and informed by, developments in the sciences themselves. The second is that the volume should appeal to practicing social scientists as well as philosophers, with the contributors being drawn from both ranks, and speaking to on-going controversial issues in the field. Finally, the volume promotes connections across the social sciences, with greater internal discussion and interaction across disciplinary boundaries. It is split into five sections: mechanisms, explanation, and causation; evidence; norms, culture, and the social-psychological; sociology of knowledge; normative connections.

Philosophy of science --- Methods in social research (general) --- Social sciences --- Sciences sociales --- Philosophy. --- Research. --- Philosophie --- Recherche --- Social science research --- Social philosophy --- Social theory --- Philosophy --- Research --- E-books --- Society. --- Contribution au concept de causalité --- Epistémologie de la sociologie --- Mécanisme (philosophie) --- Sociologie et philosophie

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This 1996 book defends the prospects for a science of society. It argues that behind the diverse methods of the natural sciences lies a common core of scientific rationality that the social sciences can and sometimes do achieve. It also argues that good social science must be in part about large-scale social structures and processes and thus that methodological individualism is misguided. These theses are supported by a detailed discussion of actual social research, including theories of agrarian revolution, organizational ecology, social theories of depression, and supply-demand explanations in economics. Professor Kincaid provides a general picture of explanation and confirmation in the social sciences and discusses the nature of scientific rationality, functional explanation, optimality arguments, meaning and interpretation, the place of microfoundations in social explanation, the status of neo-classical economics, the role of idealizations and non-experimental evidence, and other specific controversies.

Social sciences --- Philosophy. --- Research. --- Social science research --- Social philosophy --- Social theory --- Philosophy --- Research --- Sciences sociales --- Philosophie --- Recherche --- Arts and Humanities --- Social sciences - Research --- Social sciences - Philosophy --- SOCIAL SCIENCES --- RESEARCH --- PHILOSOPHY

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Social sciences

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Medicine raises numerous philosophical issues. Most discussed have been debates in bioethics. Yet contemporary medicine is also a rich source of controversies and examples that raise important issues in philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, and metaphysics. This volume approaches the philosophy of medicine from the broad naturalist perspective that holds that philosophy must be continuous with, constrained by, and relevant to empirical results of the natural and social sciences and that believes that the history, sociology, politics, and ethics of science provide relevant information for philosophical analysis. One traditional topic covered by several of the contributions is the nature of disease, but the approach is largely from the philosophy of science rather than traditional linguistic analysis. The complex interplay of epistemological and sociological factors in producing evidence in medicine is discussed by chapters on collective medical discussion making, experimental medicine, " genetic" diseases, mental illness, and race and gender categories. The upshot is a volume that ties medicine to contemporary issues in philosophy of science and metaphysics like no other. ‘…An excellent collection of essays in the philosophy of medicine. Whereas most philosophical work about medicine has been concerned with medical ethics, this volume focuses more on key questions in epistemology and metaphysics, although many of these are also relevant to ethical issues. Some of the chapters are among the best I have read in the philosophy of medicine on their respective topics.’ Professor Paul Thagard, Philosophy Department, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Medicine --- Medical logic. --- Diseases. --- Philosophy. --- Medical logic --- Human beings --- Illness --- Illnesses --- Morbidity --- Sickness --- Sicknesses --- Epidemiology --- Health --- Pathology --- Sick --- Clinical reasoning --- Logic, Medical --- Medical reasoning --- Diagnosis --- Diseases --- Philosophy --- Medicine. --- Science --- Medicine-Philosophy. --- Metaphysics. --- Social sciences --- Medicine/Public Health, general. --- Philosophy of Science. --- Philosophy of Medicine. --- Philosophy of the Social Sciences. --- Social philosophy --- Social theory --- God --- Ontology --- Philosophy of mind --- Normal science --- Philosophy of science --- Clinical sciences --- Medical profession --- Human biology --- Life sciences --- Medical sciences --- Physicians --- Health Workforce --- Philosophy and science. --- Medicine—Philosophy. --- Philosophy and social sciences. --- Social sciences and philosophy --- Science and philosophy

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Scholars question the extent to which current psychiatric classification systems are inadequate for diagnosis, treatment, and research of mental disorders and offer suggestions for improvement. In this volume, leading philosophers of psychiatry examine psychiatric classification systems, including the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), asking whether current systems are sufficient for effective diagnosis, treatment, and research. Doing so, they take up the question of whether mental disorders are natural kinds, grounded in something in the outside world. Psychiatric categories based on natural kinds should group phenomena in such a way that they are subject to the same type of causal explanations and respond similarly to the same type of causal interventions. When these categories do not evince such groupings, there is reason to revise existing classifications. The contributors all question current psychiatric classifications systems and the assumptions on which they are based. They differ, however, as to why and to what extent the categories are inadequate and how to address the problem. Topics discussed include taxometric methods for identifying natural kinds, the error and bias inherent in DSM categories, and the complexities involved in classifying such specific mental disorders as "oppositional defiance disorder" and pathological gambling. ContributorsGeorge Graham, Nick Haslam, Allan Horwitz, Harold Kincaid, Dominic Murphy, Jeffrey Poland, Nancy Nyquist Potter, Don Ross, Dan Stein, Jacqueline Sullivan, Serife Tekin, Peter Zachar.

Mental illness -- Classification. --- Psychology, Pathological. --- Mental illness --- Psychology, Pathological --- Behavioral Sciences --- Psychiatry and Psychology --- Behavioral Disciplines and Activities --- Psychopathology --- Mental Disorders --- Psychiatry --- Health & Biological Sciences --- Psychiatry - General --- Abnormal psychology --- Diseases, Mental --- Mental diseases --- Mental disorders --- Pathological psychology --- Psychology, Abnormal --- Neurology --- Brain --- Criminal psychology --- Mental health --- Psychoanalysis --- Nosology --- Diseases --- PHILOSOPHY/General --- COGNITIVE SCIENCES/Psychology/Cognitive Psychology --- BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES/General --- Philosophy of science