An Argumentativist Point of View in Cognitive Sociology

Bibliographic Data

ID2397779
AuthorsAlban Bouvier (University of Aix-Marseille I, France, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France, corresponding author)
Year2007
Volume10
Issue3
Pages465-480
Publication date2007-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Social Theory (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-4310 • E-ISSN: 1461-7137
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1368431007080707
OpenAlexW1990180659
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited14

Methodological Individualism and Rational Choice Theory (broadly understood) can integrate various research programmes in cognitive sociology (itself broadly understood). This article sets out two different but closely related conceptions, depending on the focus of the analysis (macro-sociological or micro-sociological) and the goals, although both deal - to some extent - with the bridge between these levels. Raymond Boudon's programme is relevant when the focus is the macro-sociological level but can be considered as weakly 'cognitive'. Alban Bouvier presents a slightly stronger cognitive programme - the argumentativist programme - that makes sense when the focus is on the micro-sociological level. This new programme leads to integrating cognitive psychology and recent argumentation theory more and, as well, the philosophy of mind and social philosophy. Examples here are borrowed from historical sociology

Argumentation theory · Cognition · Epistemology · Macro · Methodological individualism · Social science · Sociological imagination · Sociological theory · Sociology · Critical Realism in Sociology · Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science · Psychology