A Natural Science of Society

Description

The Problem; the Theses To Be Maintained; the Nature of Science 3 The Relation of Theory to Practice, of Theoretical Science to Practical Science, and of Science to Philosophy 8 Fundamental Postulates of Science 12 THE NATURE OF REALITY NATURAL LAWS THE NOTION OF CLASSIFICATION AND OF A NATURAL KIND NATURAL SYSTEMS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN "CLASS" AND "SYSTEM" The Division of the Sciences on the Basis of the Systems They Investigate 23 MECHANICAL SYSTEMS PERSISTENT SYSTEMS THE OBSERVABILITY OF SYSTEMS The Method of Science 28 CONCEPTS FORMULATED FOR ANALYSIS, AND ABSTRACTION TAXONOMY ANALYSIS OF SYSTEMS THE NOTION OF PROBABILITY CAUSALITY A Social System Is a Natural Persistent System . THE SOCIAL SYSTEM SOCIAL SCIENCE VS. PSYCHOLOGY HOW PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY MAY COME TOGETHER: AN INTERMEDIATE SCIENCE TYPES OF RELATIONS IN THE SOCIAL SYSTEM SOCIETY AS A POSSIBLE SYSTEM THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE A Society as a Social System Resume Contents 43 59 63 Fart II The Method of a Social Science 69 RELATIONAL MATHEMATICS WILL ULTIMATELY BE REQUIRED SCIENTIFIC DESCRIPTION VS. SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS THE PROBLEM OF TYPING SOCIETIES COMPARISON FOR THE PURPOSE OF ARRIVING AT GENERALIZATIONS THE PROBLEM OF HOW SOCIAL SYSTEMS PERSIST THE PROBLEM OF HOW SOCIETIES CHANGE THEIR TYPE THE SECOND VS. THE THIRD TYPE OF PROBLEMS (SYNCHRONIC VS. DIACHRONIC PROBLEMS) The Nature of the Social System Elaborated 90 SOCIAL COAPTATION CULTURE THE RELATION OF CULTURE TO SOCIETY NO SCIENCE OF CULTURE IS POSSIBLE Contents There Can Be Only One Social Science ECONOMICS CANNOT BE A SEPARATE THEORETIC SCIENCE COMPARATIVE EPISTEMOLOGY CANNOT BE A SEPARATE THEORETIC SCIENCE The Functional Consistency of the Social System Structural Principles of the Social System ABSTRACTION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE THE ABSTRACT STRUCTURAL PRINCIPLE OF JUSTICE Summary 110 124 129 141 Appendix Systematic Social Science 151