The Logic of Social Science

James Mahoney

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English

Princeton University Press
01 October 2021

Sociology; Social research & statistics; Political science & theory

A groundbreaking logic-based approach to bridging the scientific-constructivist divide in social science.

The Logic of Social Science offers new principles for designing and conducting social science research. James Mahoney uses set-theoretic analysis to develop a fresh scientific constructivist approach that avoids essentialist biases in the production of knowledge. This approach recognizes that social categories depend on collective understandings for their existence, but it insists that this recognition need not hinder the use of explicit procedures for the rational assessment of truth. Mahoney shows why set-theoretic analysis enables scholars to avoid the pitfalls of essentialism and produce findings that rest on a firm scientific foundation.

Extending his previous work and incorporating new material, Mahoney presents specific tools for formulating and evaluating theories in the social sciences. Chapters include discussions of models of causality, procedures for testing propositions, tools for conducting counterfactual and sequence analysis, and principles for knowledge accumulation. Equal focus is placed on theory building and explanatory tools, including principles for working with general theoretical orientations and normative frameworks in scientific research. Mahoney brings a novel perspective to understanding the relationship among actors, social rules, and social resources, and he offers original ideas for the analysis of temporality, critical events, and path dependence.

Bridging the rift between those who take a scientific approach and those who take a constructivist one, The Logic of Social Science forges an ambitious way forward for social science researchers.

By: James Mahoney
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9780691214955
ISBN 10: 0691214956
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 01 October 2021
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

James Mahoney is the Gordon Fulcher Professor in Decision-Making and professor of sociology and political science at Northwestern University. His many books include Advances in Comparative-Historical Analysis and A Tale of Two Cultures (Princeton).

Reviews for The Logic of Social Science

"""[The Logic of Social Science] provides a compelling and accessible introduction to scientific constructivism and the methodology of the set-theoretic analysis, and it provides ready-for-use set-theoretic tools for researchers in the social sciences.""---Hein Duijf, Metascience"