This 1979 text addresses the ways in which the dominant theories in
large areas of Western social science have been subject to strong
criticisms, particularly of their supposed philosophical deficiencies.
In the philosophy of science, this resulted in empiricist views being
replaced by an emphasis on the potential obstinacy of theory in the face
of the empirical world. After introducing this contemporary philosophy
of science, Dr Thomas uses it to argue that social study can both retain
the natural scientific commitment to the constraint of the external
world and assimilate the sorts of philosophical criticisms that were
made of the old social scientific theories. In particular, he shows that
social study understood in terms of the new philosophy of science can
give an account of the former's distinctive concerns with issues of the
meaning and value of social life. Dr Thomas supports his abstract
arguments by detailed case studies.