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Reason in Action: Essays in the Philosophy of Social Science
Hardback
Main Details
Title |
Reason in Action: Essays in the Philosophy of Social Science
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Authors and Contributors |
By (author) Martin Hollis
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Physical Properties |
Format:Hardback | Pages:296 | Dimensions(mm): Height 216,Width 140 |
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Category/Genre | Social and political philosophy |
ISBN/Barcode |
9780521442633
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Classifications | Dewey:300.1 |
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Audience | Professional & Vocational | |
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Publishing Details |
Publisher |
Cambridge University Press
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Imprint |
Cambridge University Press
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Publication Date |
7 December 1995 |
Publication Country |
United Kingdom
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Description
Did Adam and Eve act rationally in eating the fruit of the forbidden tree? That can seem to depend solely on whether they had found the best means to their ends, in the spirit of the 'economic' theories of rationality. Martin Hollis respects the elegance and power of these theories but judges their paradoxes endemic. He argues that social action cannot be understood by viewing human beings as abstract individuals with preferences in search of satisfaction, nor by divorcing practical reason from questions of the rationality of norms, principles, practices and ends. These essays, focused on the themes of 'rational choice', 'roles and reasons' and 'other cultures, other minds', make the point and explore alternative approaches. Culled in revised form from twenty-five years' work, the essays range across periods and disciplines with a philosophical imagination and vivid prose, which will engage philosophers and social scientists alike.
Reviews'... this book presents an elegantly argued and forcefully stated counter-challenge to the naturalists.' British Journal of Sociology
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