ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the analytical assumptions and essential elements of philosophy in general, and examines the four philosophical traditions in social science, such as empiricism, positivism, humanism and structuralism. It focuses on understanding the rules and resources of the actors and how these affect human agency through the mechanisms of the dialectic of control. The chapter explores the main philosophical currents in the social sciences, highlighting the different disciplinary biases and ideological disputes encountered in social research. It talks about the schools of economic thought associated with the frameworks and has discussed the world views, conceptual underpinnings and methodological practices. The chapter analyses the different strands of thought within the paradigm, identifying the conceptual and methodological tenets, to provide the basis for the development of an eclectic theoretical framework. It concludes on structuralism, and highlights that critical realism and structuration theory share some common philosophical views which represent a middle course, or a dialogue, between Marxism and humanism.
