New Philosophy of Social Science: Problems of Indeterminacy

Under the influence of postempiricism, the philosophy of science has changedenormously in recent years. New Philosophy of Social Science provides a clear and useful overview ofthe new synthesis that has taken place. Bohman argues for a theoretical and methodological pluralismgrounded in an account of the nature of the objects of social theory, which are necessarilyindeterminate and open ended: the new, postempiricist philosophy of social science "must find rigorwithin indeterminacy. "Bohman's position, that you can start from actual practices in the socialsciences, accept the fact that they will always contain indeterminacy and ambiguity, and yet be ableto construct viable norms, is buttressed by a number of case studies. These include examples drawnfrom rational choice theory, ethnomethodology, and the theory of communicative action. In theprocess, Bohman describes the status of such issues as causality, rules, interpretation, holism, andsocial criticism. The argument is not tied to a specific theoretical point of view, although ittakes the program of the Frankfurt School as an indication of the path toward a proper philosophy ofthe social sciences.James Bohman is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at St. LouisUniversity.