Groff challenges the notion that social and political philosophy is free from metaphysical implications. She argues that even deontological theories are intertwined with specific philosophical beliefs about existence and the nature of entities. This exploration highlights the relevance of metaphysical considerations not only for social and political philosophers but also for social scientists and philosophers of social science, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these fields.
The book explores the concept of causality through a critical examination of key philosophical figures like Kant and Putnam. It advocates for a nuanced version of critical realism while challenging Roy Bhaskar's theory of truth. The author aims to refine the application of realism about causality in the social sciences, addressing previous shortcomings in the field. Through these discussions, the work contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between causality and realism in philosophical discourse.
Subject & Object is a thematic collection of classic works by Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse, designed to foreground the authors' philosophical concerns, especially in the areas of epistemology, ontology, and method. The volume, which includes lucid introductions to all of the selections, illustrates Frankfurt School approaches to questions such as the nature of reason; the limits of empiricism, pragmatism and Kantian transcendental idealism; the case for materialism; the difficulty of thinking counterfactually; and the ideological character of mainstream social science.Many of the pieces in the volume are otherwise out of print. Subject & Object will be a resource for social, political, and cultural theorists who may be less familiar with the philosophical aspects of the Frankfurt School, for analytic philosophers who may not have had previous exposure to their work at all, and for anyone wanting access to these seminal texts.