Beyond Methodological Individualism
Social Scientific Studies of Rational Practice
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4180274 |
|---|---|
| Authors | John Wettersten (University of Mannheim, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 97-118 |
| Publication date | 2012-04-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-9756 • E-ISSN: 1474-0583 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0003975612000045 |
| OpenAlex | W2327062747 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 35 |
Standard versions of the sociology of rational practice assume justificationist theories of rationality: all rational beliefs are justified and rational individuals do not believe any non-justified statements. This theory appears to some to offer the possiblity of finding "deeper" insights into social behavior: some actions presented by actors as "rational" can, in fact, be explained as non-justified and, therefore, as mere consequences of prestige and/or power conflicts. When, however, it turns out that no theories can be justified, then all theories are irrational. This leads to relativism. The possibility, that we may profitably construct alternative theories of rationality is, in contrast, raised nearly uniquely by fallibilist theories of rationality. In order to take advantage of this, an alternative to the dominant methodological individualist theory of rational action is needed and possible. According to this alternative, rational action consists of problem-solving within institutional contexts without justification. Such a non-relativist sociology of rational practice can be enlightening and useful. Differing institutional contexts offer differing standards of rationality
Action (physics) · Construct (python library) · Ecological rationality · Economics · Epistemology · Irrational number · Methodological individualism · Positive economics · Rational choice theory (criminology) · Rationality · Relativism · Sociology · Computer Science · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Mathematics · Philosophy · Political Philosophy and Ethics · Social and Cultural Dynamics
Legitimation of belief
Structure and change in economic history
Human inference
Essays in positive economics
Violence and Social Orders
The Rise of the Western World
Culture matters
An economic theory of democracy
The Calculus of Consent
Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance
Readings in Philosophy and Cognitive Science
A Methodology for a New Microeconomics
The Myth of the Nation and the Vision of Revolution
Politischer Messianismus
The Logic of Collective Action
Money Illusion and Demand Analysis
Essay Review of The Republic of Science
The Sociology of Knowledge vs. The Sociology of Science
The Republic of science
Creating Facts
The Poverty of Historicism
Philosophical Anthropology Can Help Social Scientists Learn from Empirical Tests
The Social Philosophy of Ernest Gellner
The Sociology of Scientific Establishments Today
| Citations per year | 0.36 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2015 - 2025 (11) |
| Highly cited | No |