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The Ant Trap: Rebuilding the Foundations of the Social Sciences (Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Science) 1st Edition

by Brian Epstein (Author)
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Winner of the 2016 Lakatos Award for outstanding contribution to the philosophy of science
Winner of the 2016 Joseph B. Gittler Award for outstanding contribution to the philosophy of social science
We live in a world of crowds and corporations, artworks and artifacts, legislatures and languages, money and markets. These are all social objects - they are made, at least in part, by people and by communities. But what exactly are these things? How are they made, and what is the role of people in making them?

In The Ant Trap, Brian Epstein rewrites our understanding of the nature of the social world and the foundations of the social sciences. Epstein explains and challenges the three prevailing traditions about how the social world is made. One tradition takes the social world to be built out of people, much as traffic is built out of cars. A second tradition also takes people to be the building blocks of the social world, but focuses on thoughts and attitudes we have toward one another. And a third tradition takes the social world to be a collective projection onto the physical world. Epstein shows that these share critical flaws. Most fundamentally, all three traditions overestimate the role of people in building the social world: they are overly anthropocentric.

Epstein starts from scratch, bringing the resources of contemporary metaphysics to bear. In the place of traditional theories, he introduces a model based on a new distinction between the grounds and the anchors of social facts. Epstein illustrates the model with a study of the nature of law, and shows how to interpret the prevailing traditions about the social world. Then he turns to social groups, and to what it means for a group to take an action or have an intention. Contrary to the overwhelming consensus, these often depend on more than the actions and intentions of group members.
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0199381100
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199381104
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    April 1, 2015
  6. Part of series
    Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Science
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
  9. Print length
    308 pages
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A must-read both for those working in the foundations of social science, and for anyone in philosophy interested, quite broadly, in ontology and explanation." -- Sally Haslanger, Ford Professor of Philosophy, MIT

"Beautifully written and packed with insights, this book is an essential read for anyone interested in the foundations of the social sciences."--Christian List, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, London School of Economics, and Fellow of the British Academy

Book Description

Brian Epstein rewrites our understanding of the nature of the social world

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 308 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199381100
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199381104
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.33 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

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Brian Epstein

Brian Epstein

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Brian Epstein received his PhD in philosophy from Stanford University, his master's in philosophy from Oxford University, and graduated summa cum laude with an AB in philosophy from Princeton University. His research interests include philosophy of social science, metaphysics, and philosophy of language, focusing in particular on issues in the theory of reference and the ontology of social kinds. He also has interests in conceptual schemes, the philosophy of music, and the philosophy of economics. Between degree programs, he worked at a number of technology startups and consulting firms.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

REW
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for social scientists, as well as social ontologists
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2015
Verified Purchase
I bought ten copies of this book to share with colleagues and advanced students in the social sciences. Brian Epstein has written a clear but thorough account of how we must untangle the mess that has been made in much of economics, sociology, and management because of a longstanding misconception of methodological individualism. Epstein sorts out two important thrusts of recent work by philosophers in social ontology: the formation of group intentions and group action/agency, and the nature of social facts (including institutions) that are accepted or recognized by rule or convention. Epstein relates his account to the recent books in social ontology by Gilbert, Bratman, Tuomela, Pettit, and Searle, who have written on social ontology for audiences of philosophers. But Epstein uses sound, straightforward examples that bring the theoretical issues and their implications to the forefront for an audience of social scientists, as well as philosophers. This book is notable for its clarity and accessibility.
10 people found this helpful
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Michael B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, dammit, I did read more than the flyleaf!
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2015
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Cerebral without being obfuscatory. Cute cover, too.
3 people found this helpful
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Ben Fan
2.0 out of 5 stars New condition, but...
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
the back cover was noticeably creased, and there was a noticeable scuff mark.
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