Explanation And Understanding In The Human Sciences

Explanation and Understanding in the Human Sciences

Social scientists explain events by identifying reasons and causes. Occasionally they weave a series of events into a historical narrative. What is entailed in each kind of explanation? What form of explanation is adequate for the social sciences? In this lucid book, Gurpreet Mahajan surveys each of the major forms of inquiry—hermeneutic understanding, narrative, reason-action, and causal explanation—to examine how each method changes our perceptions of social reality. The third edition includes a new Preface that discusses some recent shifts in the conceptualization of the social sciences.

Explanation and Understanding in the Human Sciences

Methodology for the Human Sciences

This book presents the historical background of the development of methodology for the human sciences, in order to provide readers with a context for understanding the present concerns and issues in research methodology.