ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the evolution of a second intellectual tradition, described as naturalistic. The evolution of the naturalistic tradition has led to the development of sociology as a legitimate domain of enquiry, and of qualitative research methods as appropriate tools for exploring the meaning of human actions. Tensions between qualitative and quantitative approaches arose and then matured from a position of opposition to one of greater collaboration. Many contemporary qualitative researchers, drawing on George Berkeley's influence, continue to adhere to the view that it is entirely appropriate to study the world from the perspective of social construction, including a social construction of the world created by science. For contemporary qualitative research, David Hume's legacy also lies in his integration of the natural and social sciences. The historical origins of contemporary qualitative methods are to be found in the developments in social anthropology that occurred in the years between the two World Wars.
