Garry Potter – författare

The Philosophy of Social Science: New Perspectives provides a comprehensive history, explanation and critique of empiricism and positivism within the natural and social sciences, as well as an overview of the interpretivist/hermeneutic tradition in social science.

What comes after 'postmodernism'? A buzzword which began as an energising, radical critique became, by the 20th Century's end, a byword for fracture, eclecticism, political apathy and intellectual exhaustion. The last few years have seen a growing interest in critical realism as a possible, alternative way of moving forward. The virtues of critical realism lie in its successful provision of a philosophical grounding for the social sciences and humanities and of a methodology applicable to many different fields of analysis. After Postmodernism brings together some of the best-known names in the field to present the first truly interdisciplinary introduction to critical realism. The book presents the reader with a compendium of accessible essays illustrating the connection between meta-theory, theory and substantive research across Sociology, Philosophy, Literary Studies, Politics, Media Studies, Psychology and Science Studies.The flexibility of critical realism is illustrated in the range of topics discussed - ranging from quantum mechanics to cyberspace, to literary theory, nature, smoking, the future of Marx, the unconscious and, of course, postmodernism and the future of theory itself.

First published in 1999, this epistemological volume takes Searle’s ‘simple theory’ and ‘common sense’ realism and builds it from the ground up, applying it to some of the most contentious issues in the philosophy of science. Garry Potter shall also attempt to extent his notions of science and realism beyond the subject boundaries to demonstrate the applicability of both scientificity and realism where such a possibility is perhaps most counter-intuitive: literary criticism. Potter thus presents a unified theory of knowledge.

First published in 1999, this epistemological volume takes Searle’s ‘simple theory’ and ‘common sense’ realism and builds it from the ground up, applying it to some of the most contentious issues in the philosophy of science. Garry Potter shall also attempt to extent his notions of science and realism beyond the subject boundaries to demonstrate the applicability of both scientificity and realism where such a possibility is perhaps most counter-intuitive: literary criticism. Potter thus presents a unified theory of knowledge.

Now in its second edition, this comprehensive textbook offers an exceptionally accessible yet in-depth introduction to the philosophy of social science. Students with no previous knowledge will find themselves taken on an engaging philosophical journey: the book’s unique dialogue format anticipates their most frequently asked questions and provides clear explanations of specialised terminology and essential contextualisation of contemporary debates.Encompassing both traditional and contemporary perspectives, the book explores the questions and debates raised by all the major theoretical positions in the philosophy of social science, including positivism, empiricism, rationalism, hermeneutics, feminist epistemology, postmodernism and critical realism. The first edition of this book had a Eurocentric bias, as does virtually all other textbooks covering this subject matter. This has been corrected in the second edition and includes a new chapter on the contributions of Islam to philosophy, natural science social science including sociology. The second edition also has a newly written chapter on pragmaticism and neo-pragmaticism, as well as strengthened coverage of hermeneutics, postmodernism and critical realism. The book‘s rich pedagogic support includes:point-by-point summaries introducing the scope of every chapter;discussion questions;further reading lists;and a glossary of key terminology.This excellent textbook is designed to provide every student with a clear understanding of important and complex issues. It is essential reading for all students of philosophy of social science, whether at undergraduate or Masters level and regardless of their disciplinary background.