ABSTRACT
One of the principal reasons why philosophy and social research remain deeply interconnected is because of the way in which social scientists have adhered to the philosophical view known as 'foundationalism'. This view treats epistemology - the inquiry into the conditions of the possibility of knowledge - as prior to empirical research. Since the nature of philosophy, and its relationship to other forms of knowledge, is itself a major matter of philosophical dispute, there is, of course, no real basis for us to advocate any one view on these matters as the unequivocally correct conception of the relationship between philosophy and social research. Much of the discussion will, of necessity, relate to the philosophy of science, since much of social science thinking about method is shaped by one or other conception of the general nature of science. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
