International Library of Society: Philosophical Foundations of the Three Sociologies

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This book presents an extended historical and philosophical argument that serves as a valuable resource for students of the philosophy of social sciences. It explores alternatives to positivist and empiricist views of the physical sciences, reframing the debate between naturalism and anti-naturalism in social sciences. Recent materialist and realist philosophies enable a defense of naturalism that does not yield to positivism and acknowledges the strength of anti-positivist arguments from the anti-naturalist (neo-Kantian) tradition. The author critically evaluates empiricist and positivist theories of knowledge, examining classic efforts to establish a philosophical foundation for scientific sociology. Starting with the Kantian critique of empiricism, the book delves into major anti-positivist and anti-naturalist philosophical approaches to social studies. It assesses the shortcomings of post-Kantian arguments from thinkers like Rickert, Weber, and Winch, particularly regarding non-positivist naturalism and the philosophical foundation for social studies. The conclusion includes a critical investigation of the Marxian tradition, aiming to establish a materialist and realist defense of a natural science of history that avoids the fundamental flaws found in both positivist and neo-Kantian philosophical foundations.