The Flight from Reality in the Human Sciences

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In this captivating yet troubling work, Ian Shapiro delivers a sharp critique of prevalent practices in the social sciences and humanities. Known for his critique of rational choice theory, Shapiro broadens his focus to highlight how scholars across various disciplines have succumbed to an inward-looking myopia that detaches them from reality. He argues that in our method-driven academic culture, researchers often prioritize the display and refinement of techniques over the actual subjects of their study. This leads to the neglect of unwelcome facts and the adoption of pet theories, resulting in a distorted understanding of social phenomena. Shapiro targets several areas, including the law and economics movement, excessive formal and statistical modeling, reductive theories of human behavior, flawed conceptual analysis in political theory, and the Cambridge school of intellectual history. He advocates for problem-driven social research grounded in a realist philosophy of science and an antireductionist approach to social explanation. Through his clear, incisive prose, Shapiro emphasizes the importance of carefully specifying problems, illustrating the implications for the study of power, democracy, law, and ideology, as well as normative discussions on rights, justice, freedom, virtue, and community. He also addresses his critics, solidifying his status as a distinctive voice in contemporary social and political theory.