Journal of Critical Realism Vol. 2 No. 1 (November 2003)
Articles
Clarke, Graham. 'Fairbairn and Macmurray: Psychoanalytic Studies and Critical Realism'. Journal of Critical Realism 2.1 (November 2003): 7-36.
Download Free PDFThis paper argues that the relatively new academic subject—psychoanalytic studies—could benefit from critical realist thinking. Work by David Will on psychoanalysis as a science from a critical realist perspective is reviewed and arguments for Fairbairn's object relations theory as a prime candidate are developed. It also argues that recent work by Andrew Collier on Being and Worth, which makes use of the work of John Macmurray, might provide a good basis for a critical realist object relations theory. Part of this argument concerns the strong parallels argued to exist between Fairbairn and Macmurray. As such the possibility of a multi-self object relations model of the psyche within a critical realist framework is raised to contrast with the Freudian model that often appears by default.Morén, Stefan, and Björn Blom. 'Explaining Human Change: On Generative Mechanisms in Social Work Practice'. Journal of Critical Realism 2.1 (November 2003): 37-60.
Download Free PDFThe purpose of this article is to discuss the possibilities of explaining the way results, i. e. client effects, in social work practice emerge from certain interventions. Critical realism and one of its key concepts, 'generative mechanisms', is suggested as a useful perspective to reveal the intervening process and explain the way human change unfolds and is achieved in social work practice. First, some trends in evaluation of social work practice will be outlined. Thereafter, some characteristics of the meta-perspective critical realism will be outlined, and its relevance for the study of social work practice discussed. Finally, a case study based on this perspective is presented, and also some findings in terms of a set of plausible generative mechanisms that were inferred from the empirical material.Creaven, Sean. 'Marx and Bhaskar on the Dialectics of Freedom'. Journal of Critical Realism 2.1 (November 2003): 63-93.
Download Free PDFBhaskar's dialectical incarnation of critical realism has especially placed the problem of human emancipation at the heart of his project. Bhaskar's contribution here is to grasp human emancipation in terms of a dialectic of universalization from 'primal scream' to 'universal free flourishing'. In doing so, Bhaskar has reintroduced to emancipatory social theory the concept of progressive directionality in social development, which was also central to Marx's historical materialism. This article will argue two main points. First, that Bhaskar's dialectic of emancipation is both theoretically defensible, and of crucial importance at the contemporary global conjuncture, providing necessary philosophical underlabouring for the emancipatory potential inherent in late capitalist modernity. Second, that Marx's historical materialism provides Bhaskar's dialectic of freedom with sociological flesh, in the absence of which it cannot fully substantiate the concept of progressive geo-historical directionality which lies at its root. The emancipatory thrust of Bhaskar's dialectic of freedom, when sociologically substantiated by Marx's dialectics of forces and relations of production and capital and class, will be illustrated by considering the objective prospects for human emancipation at the start of the new century.Morgan, Jamie. 'Empire Inhuman? The Social Ontology of Global Theory'. Journal of Critical Realism 2.1 (November 2003): 95-127.
Download Free PDFHardt and Negri's highly influential neo-Marxist text Empire is primarily a theory of social ontology. The sustainability of this social ontology is therefore an important issue in terms of assessing whether the concept of Empire should be taken seriously as an adequate theorisation of global order. I argue that Empire constitutes an asthenotheory (a theory 'without strength') on the basis that its social ontology is highly problematic in five ways. Empire commits a basic conflation of reality and theory that undermines its critique of postmodernism as well as its subsequent social ontology (that actually repeats postmodernist errors). It is parasitic on a dialectical understanding of social reality but denies dialectics. It fails to articulate a differentiated social ontology, and thus collapses the stratified differentiation of aspects of the social, and of the distinction between the human and the social s/he reproduces, that contradicts Empire's interest in transformation and emancipation. Its social ontology is therefore inhuman. Since its social ontology is defective it is unable to provide an effective framework of analysis of empirical cases. It is in addition, and because of its social ontology, non-falsifiable. Its conceptualization of power is overly focussed at the systemic level (Lukes' third dimension). To illustrate the argument I provide an extended analysis of the debate over weapon's of mass destruction and the justification for the recent invasion of Iraq.
Debate
Joseph, Jonathan. 'Re-stating Hegemonic Theory'. Journal of Critical Realism 2.1 (November 2003): 127-137.
Download Free PDFJessop, Bob. 'Putting Hegemony in Its Place'. Journal of Critical Realism 2.1 (November 2003): 138-148.
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Reviews
Pinkstone, Brian. 'Reorienting Economics: New Horizons'. Review of Reorienting Economics by Tony Lawson. Journal of Critical Realism 2.1 (November 2003): 149-155.
Download Free PDFCurry, Neil. 'Mediating Realism and Sociology'. Review of Realism and Sociology: Anti-Foundationalism, Ontology and Social Research by Justin Cruikshank. Journal of Critical Realism 2.1 (November 2003): 157-160.
Download Free PDFPotter, Garry. 'Critical Realist Strengths and Weaknesses'. Review of Critical Realism: The Difference that It Makes, edited by Justin Cruikshank. Journal of Critical Realism 2.1 (November 2003): 161-165.
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