Peter Winch (1926–1997) was one of the most important philosophers of his generation. Although best known for his work in social science and the interpretation of Ludwig Wittgenstein, he had a long-standing interest in ethics and political philosophy and was writing a book on political philosophy at the time of his death. This volume collects together Winch’s previously unpublished manuscripts on political philosophy, alongside an editorial introduction which outlines the development of hi...

This is the first introduction to the ideas of the British philosopher, Peter Winch (1926-97). Although author of the hugely influential "The Idea of a Social Science" (1958) much of Winch's other work has been neglected as philosophical fashions have changed. Recently, however, philosophers are again seeing the importance of Winch's ideas and their relevance to current philosophical concerns. In charting the development of Winch's ideas, Lyas engages with many of the major preoccupations ...

Questões sobre o alcance da ciência são tão importantes para nós agora como eram quando A ideia de uma ciência social foi publicada pela primeira vez. Winch toma essas questões e levanta outras inteiramente novas sobre o alcance da filosofia – sobre se a investigação da vida social deve ser abordada filosoficamente. Sua monografia inaugurou debates de interesse e importância permanentes sobre o conhecimento nos estudos sociais e a natureza do fenômeno social.

Peter Guy Winch (1926 – 1997) was one of the most important philosophers of the second half of the 20th Century. He is best known for his early work on the philosophy of the social sciences, in particular his monograph On the Idea of a Social Science and its Relation to Philosophy (ISS), which generated controversy within both philosophical and social scientific circles. In that work and subsequent publications, Winch argued against the presupposition that social relations could b...

This volume unites Peter Winch’s previously unpublished work on Baruch de Spinoza. The primary source for the text is a series of seminars on Spinoza that Winch gave, first at the University of Swansea in 1982 and then at King’s College London in 1989. What emerges is an original interpretation of Spinoza’s work that demonstrates his continued relevance to contemporary issues in metaphysics, epistemology and ethics, and establishes connections to other philosophers - not only Spinoza’s pre...

Originally published in 1972, and now with a new Preface by Michael Campbell, this collection of essays on closely related issues in moral philosophy looks at different aspects of people’s understanding of their own and others’ actions in ethical dimensions. The book discusses the ways in which the understanding both of man’s own nature and of the nature of the world in which he lives, is a function of his social existence. It discusses questions about the character of moral deliberation a...

In the fiftieth anniversary of this book‘s first release, Winch‘s argument remains as crucial as ever. Originally published in 1958, The Idea of a Social Science and Its Relation to Philosophy was a landmark exploration of the social sciences, written at a time when that field was still young and had not yet joined the Humanities and the Natural Sc

Peter Guy Winch (1926 – 1997) was one of the most important philosophers of the second half of the 20th Century. He is best known for his early work on the philosophy of the social sciences, in particular his monograph On the Idea of a Social Science and its Relation to Philosophy (ISS), which generated controversy within both philosophical and social scientific circles. In that work and subsequent publications, Winch argued against the presupposition that social relations could b...

This volume is a reappraisal of the work of Peter Guy Winch (1926 -1997), one of the most important philosophers of the 20th Century. Winch faded into relative obscurity compared to his contemporaries due to a mistaken belief that there are no systematic connections between the different aspects of his work. This volume corrects that presupposition and reintroduces Winch's work to a new generation of scholars. By showing how ethical, political and social issues are interrelated in Winch's ...

The death of Peter Winch in 1997 sparked a revived interest in his work with this book arguing his work suffered misrepresentation in both recent literature and in contemporary critiques of his writing. Debates in philosophy and sociology about foundational questions of social ontology and methodology often claim to have adequately incorporated and moved beyond Winch's concerns. Re-establishing a Winchian voice, the authors examine how such contentions involve a failure to understand centr...

This book argues for the value of reading Peter Winch (1926–1997), one of the important philosophers of the 20th century and known especially for his work on Wittgenstein and the philosophy of the social sciences, paired with R. G. Collingwood (1889–1942), famous for his philosophy of history.Both Winch’s and Collingwood’s seminal works made a deep impact on debates on the aims and methods of the human sciences. Moreover, their similarity on those topics rested on a shared vision o...

The voices in this volume, those of philosophers from Britain, Europe, America and Australia, speak in different tones of sumpathy and criticism of Winch and his conception of human conditioning.