Lecture 7

Question 1

What is rational choice theory

Answer 1

emphasis on explaining individual action

Question 2

What is redutionism?

Answer 2

Can individual-level explanations account for collective-level phenomena?

Question 3

How does Hempel use Rational Choice Theory?

Answer 3

An attempt to explain social phenomena in terms of laws and
causes.
- A law is a statement (or statements) that describe a regularity of nature.
- A cause is the influential connection (regular associated) of one event to another

Question 4

What are three aspects of indivualism?

Answer 4

1. Only individuals and their features really exist.
2. Explanations in the social sciences refer to individual actions.
3. Social scientific theories can be derived from psychological theories.
   - Macro phenomena reduce to micro phenomena