ABSTRACT
One of the most influential contemporary proponents of the thesis that the causal explanation of human action is inadequate, is Professor Peter Winch. He develops this case in his well-known book, The Idea of a Social Science. Typically, rational action is conceived of as an actor’s realistic perception of the means whereby to attain his ends. Rational action in a social context is not merely confined to an estimation of the appropriate means to gain any given end. Contrary to received sociological opinion, ends themselves may be evaluated as rational or irrational. The appeal to what it is rational for men to pursue adds a dimension to the explanation of human behaviour which is not present in explanations within the physical sciences.
