ABSTRACT
Critical realist philosophy has, depending on how one defines that thing, a long, complex and circuitous history. However, in recent decades the role played by Roy Bhaskar in bringing this particular form of realism to wide attention cannot be underestimated. Two of Bhaskar's early works, A Realist Theory of Science and The Possibility of Naturalism, have already been referred to (in the Introduction). And these texts, along with later works, have proven hugely significant. Bhaskar's realism challenged established orthodoxies across a number of disciplines. He kick-started what is now a self-conscious movement in both the humanities and social sciences (Engholm, 1999) and critical realism now inspires work throughout an increasingly varied range of academic fields.
