In this lucid and engaging introductory volume on the nature of society, Roger Trigg examines the scientific basis of social science and shows that philosophical presuppositions are a necessary starting point for the study of society.

Roger Trigg is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick. His most recent books include Rationality and Science (Blackwell, 1993), Rationality and Religion (Blackwell, 1998), the widely-read Ideas of Human Nature (second edition, Blackwell, 1999), and Philosophy Matters (Blackwell, forthcoming).