ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book considers some of the most prevalent arguments against the use of law-like explanation in social science rooted in the alleged intractability of its subject matter. It provides reasons for being optimistic about the prospects of nomological explanation in social science in light of an analogy with an example drawn from natural science. The book examines the claims behind "interpretivism" and "physicalism" in an effort to defend the nomological status of social science against some of the most important objections that have been offered against it. It considers the metaphysical status of the prior epistemological claims in order to determine what sort of ontological assumptions might lie behind a defense of nomological social scientific explanation. The book assesses the implications of the analysis for the defense of social scientific laws.
