The Flight from Reality in the Human Sciences
"In these probing essays . . . Ian Shapiro offers a disturbing portrait of contemporary social science. . . . [He] calls for academics to reconnect the academic enterprise to the real world by returning to problem-driven social inquiry--an urging that scholars of international relations and other fields should indeed ponder."--G. John Ikenberry,Foreign Affairs"Have you ever had difficulty talking to a political scientist about politics? If so, this book is for you. In a searing indictment of over-professionalization in the humanities and social sciences, Yale University's Ian Shapiro argues that across disciplines, academics have abandoned truth, so to speak, for method. . . .The Flight from Realitylays the foundation for reengaging scholarship with the historical world, by reminding us of its necessary role in public life."--Tikkun Magazine"[B]oth political scientists and politicians can learn something from Shapiro's thoughtful reflections on the state of his discipline."--Alan Wolff,Chronicle of Higher Education"Shapiro's book is an important addition to recent debates about the proper practice of social inquiry. Its central thesis is undeniably important, and its engagements with influential thinkers and ideas is consistently stimulating. It therefore merits the careful attention of anyone who is interested in the state of the human sciences today."--Keith Topper,Ethics"Shapiro's book provides a very well annotated and fascinating, although not always easy to read, argument framework with easy to express practical implications."--Armando Geller,JASSS