REALIST PHILOSOPHY OF THE SOCIAL-SCIENCES AND ECONOMICS - A CRITIQUE

This paper deals with (critical) realism as a contribution to the phil osophy of the social sciences. In the first section, critical realism is introduced. Differences from other philosophies of science (especia lly positivism and falsificationism) are discussed. In the second sect ion, critical realism is criticised: first for failing as a normative philosophy of science, second for relying upon an impoverished notion of knowledge-acquisition, and finally for its unsuitability as a contr ibution to social theory. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited