ABSTRACT
This chapter considers how the categories of basic critical realism, originally designed for the natural sciences, must be adjusted to address social science issues. Critical realism is an underlabourer for the various sciences and practices. The person who initiated this metaphor, John Locke, said: The Commonwealth of Learning is not at this time without Master-Builders, whose mighty designs, in advancing the Sciences, will leave lasting monuments to the Admiration of Posterity. Critical realism adopts the standpoint of seriousness. This derives from Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel who was critical of the assumptions of Kantian and empiricist philosophy, which he felt had little practical relevance to the pressing issues of his time. The feature of critical realism is its conception of the nature of philosophical argument. According to critical realism, philosophical argument always takes the form of immanent critique.
