"Baert's summary of influential perspectives in thehistory of social-scientific concept formation is very useful andcan be recommended as a current brand-leader amongst textbooks inthis field ... This book extends its scope beyond the provision ofreliable summary and it leads theory forward in an engaged andproductive direction."
British Journal of Socioliogy
"Patrick Baert has written another well argued and lucidintroduction to methodological and theoretical problems in socialresearch."
Sociological Review
"Patrick Baert elegantly and skilfully demonstrates thecontinuities between philosophical and social scientific concernsin this field. This book contains both an outstanding criticaldiscussion and a
powerful argument for a pragmatistposition."
William Outhwaite, University of Sussex
"Baert's thorough-going pragmatism is an enormouslypromising redirection of philosophical debate in and about thesocial sciences. This is an ambitious treatment of canonicalfigures whose philosophical reflection has been influential in thesocial science - Durkheim, Weber, Popper, the criticalrealists, Habermas, and several latter day pragmatists. Crucially,it is a treatment that exemplifies what Baert advocates: hecontextualizes these theorists and their arguments, puts them indialog with one another, and extracts philosophical lessons thatnot only bear on
philosophical traditions of debate but that are consequential forsocial scientists as well. I recommend it to anyone, philosopher orsocial scientist, student or established professional, who thinkscritically about the goals and assumptions of the socialsciences."
Alison Wylie, University of Washington
