"We're no angels": Realism, rational choice, and relationality in social science

An alarm has been sounded that historical sociology is subverting the theor etical aims of social science. Criticizing an array of widely influential s cholars, Kiser and Hechter propose that rational choice theory; can avoid t he trend toward "empiricism" that results from the import of history into s ociology. Their position is based on theoretical realism-a radically antipo sitivist thesis that uses ontological and theoretical postulates to theoriz e about reality beyond positive appearance. A close examination of theoreti cal realism casts doubts on the epistemological foundations of rational cho ice theory. Relational realism, the alternative introduced here, places gre ater emphasis on the pragmatic elements of explanation, supporting a more r elational, causal-historical, and problem-driven view of theory. A renewed appreciation of what is defined as Kuhn's historical epistemology provides the foundation for evaluating these competing research programs.