BITE-SIZE CRITICAL REALIST SERIES

Here are the six introductory lectures (so far!) on original critical realism.

Lecture 1: Here is a 12-minute talk on the critical realist notion of judgemental rationality, its relation to ontological realism and epistemic relativism. These three concepts–often referred to as ‘the holy trinity of critical realism’–are central to the epistemology that emerges from Roy Bhaskar’s philosophy of  the sciences.

Lecture 2: The second episode of the Bite-Size Critical Realist is a 15-minute talk on existential intransitivity, a central concept in Roy Bhaskar’s original or basic critical realism. It is a concept that is more relevant than ever.

Lecture 3: The third episode of the Bite-Size Critical Realist is here: a 15-minute talk on depth stratification, another fundamental insight  in Roy Bhaskar’s original or basic critical realism. Learn about this concept and its significance today.

Lecture 4: This fourth lecture from the Bite-Size Critical Realist tackles the concept of OPEN-SYSTEMIC CAUSALITY based on Bhaskar’s transcendental analysis of experimental activity.

The idea of the world as an open system redefines causality, in the process, evaluating the goal of the sciences in predicting phenomena and the notion of determinism with regard to human beings as well as nature. Open-systemic causality is one of the five basic insights of Critical Realism.

Lecture 5: This is our fifth mini-lecture for the Bite-Size Critical Realist series. This is Part 1: An Open System of Emergent Causes. It tackles the concept of ONTOLOGICAL EMERGENCE.

Ontological emergence further nuances the redefinition of causality resulting from the notion of the OPEN SYSTEM. Part 2 will tackle the implications of ontological emergence in our conceptualization of the human person and freedom.

Lecture 6: Our sixth bite-size lecture is Part 2 of the critical realist theory of ONTOLOGICAL EMERGENCE:

The mini-lecture focuses on some of the implications of this critical realist theory:  scientific explanations, a conception of the mind, of society, of the human person, and the different sciences. It also offers a critique of reductionism, determinism, and the so-called “theory of everything.”

Join Us Because “Critical Realism Matters”

Webinars on Saturday 16th November, 2019 & Launch of The Bhaskar Memorial Fund

Critical Realism Matters is a new series of webinar events held to showcase and celebrate the enormous potential of critical realism. The first pair of webinars, taking place on Saturday 16thNovember, 2019, have been planned to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the death of Roy Bhaskar, the key founder of critical realism (CR). With this very much in mind, we are delighted that the webinars will also mark the launch of The Bhaskar Memorial Fund, a new fund supporting the work of critical realist scholars.

Continue reading “Join Us Because “Critical Realism Matters””

CRN-AP Campfire #1: Q&A with Critical Realists in the UK (批判的実在論: 英国における第一線の研究者が疑問に答えます)

Interested in social theory, moral economy, social morphogenesis, the ethical life, the structure-agency problem, political economy, philosophy of science, social ontology?

社会理論、モラルエコノミー、ソーシャル・モルフォジェネシス、エシカル・ライフ、構造-エージェンシー論争、政治経済学、科学哲学、社会的存在論が気になっているみなさん。英国を代表する4人のクリティカル・リアリストが、アジア太平洋地域の研究者と学生の質問に答えます。

 

Dave Elder-Vass

May 18, 2018, 2:00pm – 3:30pm BST with DAVE ELDER-VASS
Interests
:  social theory, social ontology, political economy, philosophy of science (関心分野:  社会理論、社会的存在論、social economy、科学哲学)
BlogMaterially Social
BooksThe Causal Power of Social Structures: Emergence, Structure and Agency (2010), The Reality of Social Construction (2012); Profit and Gift in the Digital Economy (2017).  See other publications here.

Andrew Sayer

May 21, 2018, 1:00pm – 2:30pm BST with ANDREW SAYER
Interests
:  social welfare and moral economy, values and ethical life (関心分野:  社会福祉とモラル・エコノミー、価値とエシカル・ライフ)
Books: Why We Can’t Afford The Rich (2015); Why Things Matter To People: Social Science, Values and Ethical Life 2011; Realism and Social Science (1999)Method in Social Science (1992).  See other publications here.

Margaret Archer

May 23, 2018, 1:00pm – 2:30pm BST with MARGARET ARCHER
Interests
: the problem of structure and agency, morphogenesis, social ontology (関心分野: 構造とエージェンシー、モルフォジェネシス、社会的存在論)
Books: Social Morphogenesis, 5 Volumes; Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation; Being Human: The Problem of Agency; Realist Social Theory: The Morphogenetic Approach (1995).  See other publications here.

Tony Lawson

May 24, 2018, 10:00am – 11:30pm BST with TONY LAWSON
Interests
: social ontology, philosophy of science, political economy/history of thought (関心分野: 社会的存在論、科学哲学、ポリティカル・エコノミー、思想史)
Books: The Nature and State of Modern Economics (2015); Reorienting Economics (2003)Economics and Reality (1997).  See other publications here.

… will be taking questions from scholars and students of critical realism from the Asia Pacific.

Or post  your questions now!  Deadline for questions is May 11, 2018.

1. ここをクリックして質問を投げかけてくださいhere 。  質問の締め切りは5月11日です。
2. クリティカル・リアリズム・ネットワーク-アジア太平洋(CRN-AP)がインタヴューの音声と動画を websiteで利用できるようにします。

英語と日本語。インタヴューは英語で行われます。質問は、英語と日本語で受け付けます。ビデオの日本語字幕を作成するボランティアも募集しています。

Click on the link to see flyer for more information.

Campfire 1 – English
Campfire 1 – Japanese

Critical Realism Orphan From Japan: Two Key Takeaways From The Beyond Positivism Conference

These reflections are written by Joselito Ranara JIMENEZ, our critical realist from Osaka, Japan, who was a participant at the recent “Beyond Positivism” Conference in Montreal, Canada.

The Critical Realism Network held the Beyond Positivism conference, with support from the John Tempelton Foundation, last August 8-10, 2017 at Montreal, Canada. Sixty-seven (67) presenters tackled compelling topics and engaging questions on theory, methods and values, attempting to crystallize what a post-positivist social science looks like. Key thinkers in Critical Realism and leading academicians in Sociology, Philosophy, History, Social Psychology were also on hand to provide insightful feedback.

Plenary session on “Utopian Social Science After Positivism” with Margaret Archer and Erik Olin Wright.

Continue reading “Critical Realism Orphan From Japan: Two Key Takeaways From The Beyond Positivism Conference”

MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM

Hello! If you are interested to join this new network of critical realists living and working in Asia Pacific, kindly accomplish this quick and simple survey.

If you know of colleagues who may be interested in joining us, please forward this survey to them. Thank you!