Elster Online 2014 Download: A Critical Examination of Methodological Individualism

In his book 'Making Sense of Marx', Jon Elster presents a comprehensive critique of Karl Marx's work, specifically targeting Marx's use of functional explanation in social sciences. While Elster is right in pointing out certain flaws in Marx's instances of functional explanation, the crux of this paper lies in criticizing Elster's philosophical objections to this type of explanation.

Elster's defense of methodological individualism, a central theme in his work, has been met with skepticism by many scholars. The concept of methodological individualism posits that social phenomena can be best understood by analyzing the actions and decisions of individual people, rather than examining larger societal structures or institutions. In contrast, functional explanation seeks to understand social phenomena by examining their function within a particular system.

Elster's critique of Marx's use of functional explanation is that it relies too heavily on teleological thinking, implying that social phenomena have an inherent purpose or goal. This, according to Elster, is a flawed approach as it neglects the fact that individual human actions and decisions are often guided by a multitude of factors, including personal desires, cultural norms, and economic pressures.

However, this paper argues that Elster's objections to functional explanation are overstated. While it is true that Marx's use of functional explanation can be seen as teleological, it does not necessarily follow that the concept itself is flawed. In fact, functional explanation has been used successfully in various fields such as biology and ecology to understand complex systems.

Moreover, Elster's defense of methodological individualism is problematic because it ignores the fact that social phenomena are often the result of interactions between individuals and larger societal structures. By focusing solely on individual actions and decisions, we risk neglecting the broader context in which these actions take place.

In conclusion, while Elster's critique of Marx's use of functional explanation has some valid points, his philosophical objections to this type of explanation are overstated. A more nuanced approach that takes into account both methodological individualism and functional explanation is necessary to fully understand complex social phenomena.

Reference: Elster, J. (1985). Making Sense of Marx. Cambridge University Press.

Elster online 2014 download