Which theory of behaviour for the social sciences?

Abstract

As the social sciences deal with macrophenomena caused by individual human actions, they have to use a theory of human behaviour. They basically use three types of theory: the rational-utilitarian theory, the causalist theory which sees behaviour as caused by social, cultural or biological forces and the «rational psychology» successfully explained in Nisbet’s sense. The three theories are important in the sense that they have shown their capacity to explain convincingly puzzling phenomena. Type I and II theories have been claimed to be potentially general. They are not since there are many familiar phenomena they are unable to explain. Type III can by contrast be claimed to be general. Amartya Sen has made the point that according to rational-utilitarian theory human beings are «rational idiots». Type II treats them as irrational idiots. These aggressive metaphors draw the attention on the fact that human beings respond to situations they are confronted to by devising systems of arguments which they perceive as strong: by being cognitively rational.