"Ian Shapiro's work has inspired a generation of both scholars and
practitioners of politics--for the simple reason that he meets the
standards of the former and the needs of the latter. In this book,
he helps rescue the study of politics and society from moralists,
who believe individuals have more control over their fates than
history or economics would support, and from those scientists who
view human behavior as mechanistic. He is a theoretician with solid
grounding in the real world, a master-observer of the human
capacity that is at the heart of the best and worst in political
and social life--and everything in between: choice. He writes with
a clarity that is refreshing as well as redolent of the confidence
he rightly feels in his own judgments."--Strobe Talbott, President
of the Brookings Institution
"With his characteristic boldness and insight, Ian Shapiro
surveys the reigning theories in the social sciences and finds them
wanting. A superb collection of essays from a trenchant
critic."--Joyce Appleby, Professor Emerita of History, University
of California, Los Angeles, author of "Liberalism and Republicanism
in the Historical Imagination"
"Informed by normative political theory and the philosophy of
science, and grounded in a deep knowledge of empirical studies in
political science, Ian Shapiro's essays raise fundamental questions
for those in all the disciplines--including law--who seek to
understand and explain social behavior in the construction of
decent public institutions."--Mark Tushnet, Carmack Waterhouse
Professor of Constitutional Law, Georgetown University
"It is always a pleasure to read Ian Shapiro's reflections on
political theory, the methodology ofpolitical science, and on the
state of the discipline. He is sceptical but not cynical, he is
critical without malice, and he laces his insights with a dry wit
that makes some sometimes quite tough argumentation unusually
digestible. It is good to have these pieces so conveniently
assembled in one place."--Alan Ryan, New College, Oxford
"This is an important book for two main reasons. First, its
central argument is, undoubtedly, correct. Recent methodological
advances in the social sciences, combined with pressures from
increased professionalization, have rendered epidemic the
'pathologies' that are the book's subject. Second, Shapiro is one
of only a handful of scholars who have drawn social scientists'
attention to these problems. The tightly argued essays that
comprise the book are written in a clear, jargon-free prose that
will make them accessible to scholars across a range of fields and
disciplines."--Clarissa Rile Hayward, Ohio State University, author
of "De-Facing Power"
"This lucid, brilliant, and beautifully written volume of essays
contributes substantially to our understanding of the philosophy
and practice of research in the human sciences. Anyone undertaking
such research, or interested in its results, will want to read
it."--Elisabeth Ellis, Texas A&M University, author of "Kant's
Politics: Provisional Theory for an Uncertain World"
General
Imprint: |
Princeton University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
December 2007 |
First published: |
2007 |
Authors: |
Ian Shapiro
|
Dimensions: |
235 x 152 x 9mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
232 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-691-13401-7 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Sociology, social studies >
Social theory
|
LSN: |
0-691-13401-4 |
Barcode: |
9780691134017 |
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