Defending the role of rationality in the social sciences, rationally

Abstract

Peter T. Leeson and Tobias Wolbring agree with me that rationality, properly clarified, should continue to assume an important theoretical role in modern social science. We disagree, however, about the precise extent of its role. In my reply to the debate I focus on two related issues that have emerged. First, can and should the concepts of rationality, or rational choice theory (RCT) more generally, be employed as something more than just one tool among many? Second, can all cases of norm-following be satisfactorily subsumed by rationality and RCT analysis?

Relativism and Rationality in The Social Sciences

“…The problem of the role of rationality is crucially or seminally significant in any outline or overview of the philosophy of social science. The significance of the role of rationality in the social sciences stems from the fact that explanation and prediction of human behavior, both individual and social, entails bringing out the reasons they have or suppose themselves to have for their behavior [6,7,8]. The concept of rationality is surrounded by several confusions in its deployment in the social sciences.…”