ABSTRACT
The Italian methodologist Enzo Di Nuoscio defines the aim of actionist sociologies as the reconstruction of the links between reason, action and social phenomena. The first of these links is tackled through the notion of understanding; the second, through that of explanation (Di Nuoscio, 1996: 83). In this chapter, I shall investigate the meaning of these two notions in Boudon’s work, as well as their relations. The importance of this procedure lies in establishing the possibility of an objective account of social reality based on his paradigm of social action and, in particular, on his theory of cognitive rationality. I shall start this investigation by examining the way in which Boudon classifies recent sociological theories and their commitment to understanding and explanation. This will allow me to situate his approach within sociological theory better, providing a basis for determining its specific traits.
