Critical Realism: Basics and Beyond

by Hubert Buch-Hansen, Peter Nielsen

This new textbook offers a succinct yet broad introduction to critical realism, an increasingly popular approach to the philosophy of science that provides a holistic alternative to both positivism and postmodernism. This text sets out the central concepts, arguments and understandings in critical realism and relates them to social scientific practice. In addition to answering the question 'what is critical realism?', the authors consider critical realism in light of two crucial themes in contemporary society – neoliberalism and climate change – which run as common threads throughout the chapters. While some introductions to the topic focus exclusively on the work of Roy Bhaskar – critical realism's best-known proponent – this text covers a much wider range of thinkers and social researchers, and also features Key Concept boxes and CR in Action boxes throughout to aid the reader through this complex yet rewarding subject.

This text is the perfect entry point for all those studying critical realism for the first time, or for those seeking to re-familiarise themselves with this approach. Whether you're studying critical realism as part of a broader course on the philosophy of science or seeking to apply critical realist methods to a particular research project, this book is essential reading for the social sciences, humanities and beyond.

Genres: Philosophy

168 pages, Paperback

Published August 29, 2020

Reviews

[Otti Vogt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hubert Buch-Hansen and Peter Nielsen have masterfully crafted a concise, lucid, and insightful exposition of Critical Realism. Their book, spanning a digestible 150 pages, serves as an invaluable primer for anyone eager to delve into the realm of CR. Providing brief descriptions of critical concepts, and full of illuminating examples that elucidate core tenets, it's an indispensable resource for gaining a rudimentary grasp of this complex framework. Furthermore, the authors deftly guide readers toward additional texts and references, enriching the learning journey.

Nonetheless, amidst its myriad strengths, this commendable book bears some flaws. Using climate change as a continuous thread to exemplify the theory of Critical Realism, it often seems to rather simplistically jump from philosophical to ideological discourse, single-mindedly conflating ontological and ethical arguments, without offering much clarity or criteria to help evaluating the explicatory power of divergent hypotheses. By the same token, the description of research approaches and methods specific to CR remains unconvincingly weak. In this very context, the book seemingly sidesteps another crucial aspect: introspection. The CR movement, though rich in its exploration of diverse schools of thought within its own domain, appears to underplay the critical evaluations aimed at its core ontological propositions—like those put forth by scholars such as Bernard and Young. While one could contend that such a comprehensive analysis might exceed the boundaries of an introductory work, the central significance of these critiques and their far-reaching implications on CR's adoption and advancement warrant a more pronounced spotlight.

In essence, while Hubert Buch-Hansen and Peter Nielsen's offering stands as an exemplary guide, its limited engagement with self-critique within the CR paradigm leaves an important facet comparatively unexplored. Given the fundamental nature of these critiques and their potential to shape the trajectory of CR, a more deliberate examination of their inherent shortcomings would undoubtedly enhance the book's scholarly resonance.