Methodological Individualism: Background,

This volume is about the background, history and meaning of methodological individualism. It will interest a broad range of students and academics across the social sciences.

List of figures

x

Preface

xi

Acknowledgements

xii

Introduction

1

(6)

Background

7

(34)

The social contract

7

(3)

The invisible hand

10

(1)

Classical economics

11

(8)

German historicism

19

(8)

Positivist sociology

27

(11)

Holism and collectivism

38

(3)

Psychologism in early social science

41

(46)

British psychologism

43

(15)

John Stuart Mill

43

(6)

Utilitarian economics

49

(9)

German psychologism

58

(19)

The rise of psychology

58

(9)

Wilhelm Dilthey

67

(6)

Georg Simmel

73

(4)

Psychologism on trial

77

(10)

Austrian methodological individualism

87

(39)

Carl Menger

87

(8)

Max Weber

95

(9)

Joseph Schumpeter

104

(3)

Ludwig von Mises

107

(7)

Friedrich von Hayek

114

(7)

The Austrian influence

121

(5)

Society as subjectively meaningful interaction

126

(41)

Symbolic interactionism

127

(10)

Phenomenological sociology

137

(7)

Existentialism

144

(6)

Ethnomethodology

150

(10)

Social constructionism

160

(7)

Positivism in philosophy and social science

167

(33)

Positivist philosophy

167

(12)

British empiricism

168

(5)

Logical positivism

173

(6)

Positivist social science

179

(21)

Systematic empiricism

179

(10)

Positivist social theory

189

(1)

Homan's theory of exchange

190

(6)

German Verhaltenstheorie

196

(4)

Popperian methodological individualism

200

(28)

Karl Popper

200

(11)

J.W.N. Watkins

211

(7)

Institutional individualism

218

(8)

Joseph Agassi

218

(3)

Ian C. Jarvie

221

(3)

John O. Wisdom

224

(2)

Conclusion

226

(2)

Economics: the individualist science

228

(27)

Macroeconomics and microfoundations

230

(11)

General equilibrium theory

241

(9)

Game theory

250

(4)

Conclusion

254

(1)

The new institutional economics

255

(33)

Social organisations

260

(16)

The household

261

(4)

The firm

265

(7)

The state

272

(3)

Interest groups

275

(1)

Conclusion

275

(1)

Social rules

276

(5)

Property rights

276

(2)

Law

278

(3)

Constitutions

281

(1)

Evolutionary economics

281

(5)

Conclusion

286

(2)

Rational choice individualism

288

(32)

Rational choice sociology

290

(19)

James Coleman

292

(14)

Raymond Boudon

306

(3)

Analytical Marxism

309

(9)

Jon Elster

310

(6)

John Roemer

316

(2)

Structural individualism

318

(2)

Why methodological individualism?

320

(26)

Philosophical background

321

(3)

Reductionism

324

(12)

Scientific reduction

324

(7)

Psychologism

331

(5)

Microfoundations

336

(1)

Normative individualism

336

(9)

Political individualism

337

(2)

Humanism

339

(6)

Conclusion

345

(1)

Methodological individualism restated

346

(11)

Strong and weak methodological individualism

346

(3)

Versions of strong methodological individualism

349

(5)

Explanatory methodological individualism

354

(3)

Notes

357

(31)

Bibliography

388

(49)

Index of author names

437

(4)

Index

441

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Methodological Individualism: Background, History and Meaning

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials