Behaviour and Social Ontology

In this chapter I want to turn to some issues connected with the explanation of social behaviour which are crucial to the realist programme. However, by way of introduction to these issues I want to look at the work of Winch and Louch because, I would argue, in a sense they set the agenda for subsequent work on this area, including that of the realists. As a correlate of this I want to argue that the Winch-Louch legacy has left a clear imprint on much realism, sometimes despite protestations to be contrary. The pervasive influence of Winch in particular will be seen also in the discussion in chapter 6 on the relationship between the technical language of social science and common sense.

Epistemology · Ontology · Realism · Set (abstract data type) · Sociology · Winch · Work (physics) · Computer Science · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Critical Realism in Sociology · Engineering · Mechanical Engineering · Philosophy