Sociological Theory (Routledge Revivals)

Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Ordinary language and theoretical explanations: Ordinary language explanations; The construction of a data-language: behaviourism; The logic of successful theory 2. Matching the physical science paradigm: Cause and generality; The failure of sociology theory: a priori or contingent? 3. Casual explanation and rational action: The argument that causal accounts of human behaviour are ruled out a priori; Rational action 4. An alternative conceptualisation: voluntaristic action theory: The action frame of reference; The definition of action 5. Bringing history back in: laws and the explanation of human action: Uniqueness and contingency; Concluding remarks; Notes; Index