Fryer, Philip D., 1951- (1980) Marx, Weber and the methodology of social science. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

PDF WRAP_THESIS_Fryer_1980.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader Download (17Mb)

Abstract

This thesis is primarily concerned with the relationship between realism in philosophy and in social science. I attempt to expound and defend two principal arguments; first, that a realist approach in philosophy is a precondition of understanding science as a rational activity; secondly, that only a realist approach to the understanding of social phenomena seems to offer hope for developing an account of social inquiry based on scientific principles. However, these two arguments are developed by way of a critical analysis of the realist view in relationship to some of its major rivals. Consequently, as well as my realist exposition of Marx's methodology of science outlined in chapters five and six, where I argue that only a dialectico-causal interpretation of historical materialism seems to meet the requirements of an historical science, there is a chapter on Weber's methodology (hence the title of the thesis) and a section on other approaches to social science stating my case against the attempt to found social inquiry on alternative cognitive foundations. In addition, the argument against non-realist views of social science is extended to the critique of Marxism itself especially in the context of the theories of Colletti and Althusser contained in chapter 4.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General) H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Realism, Marx, Karl, 1818-1883, Weber, Max, 1864-1920, Science -- Methodology, Social sciences -- Methodology
Date:	September 1980
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Sociology
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Enfield, Roy
Extent:	vii, 251 leaves
Language:	eng
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/3495

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item