Historical Understanding and Ethics in Social Science

Can social scientific description capture the historically individual?Is the idea of an ethically committed social science morally defensible?This book offers a critical, historically-grounded perspective on these perennial methodological and ethical problems, in their current forms.It provides a series of in-depth examinations of recent work by prominent authors in sociology and philosophy.The book draws on the thought of Peter Winch to provide a coherent response to the core issues that underlie past and present debate in social science and to provide a solid basis for future inquiry.It will be of particular interest to social scientists, philosophers, and historians, and to anyone seeking a clear grasp of the demands made by historical understanding and ethics on the study of society.