Methodological Individualism and Contemporary Social Sciences

In the social sciences, methodological individualism is a doctrine that describes social phenomena as a consequence of subjective personal motivations by individual actors. Class or group dynamics, which operate on systemic explanations, are deemed illusory, and, thus, rejected or de-prioritized. With its bottom-up micro-level approach, methodological individualism is often contrasted with methodological holism, a top-down macro-level approach, and methodological pluralism.

This doctrine was introduced as a methodological precept for the social sciences by Max Weber, most importantly in the first chapter of Economy and Society (1922). 

This international conference discusses the origins of this doctrine, its evolutions and place within the sphere of social sciences, as well as controversial issues that surrounds it.

View the full programme on the CNRS's website.

Organising committee

Nathalie Bulle, director of research for the Groupe d'étude des méthodes de l'analyse sociologique de la Sorbonne (GEMASS) at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS).

Guest speakers

• Salvatore Abbruzzese
• Alban Bouvier
• Nathalie Bulle
• Pierre Demeulenaere
• Francesco Di Iorio
• Olivier Favereau
• Wolf Feuerhahn
• Renaud Fillieule
• Jean-Baptiste Fleury
• Erhard Friedberg
• Gianluca Manzo
• Jean-Michel Morin
• Karl-Dieter Opp
• Emmanuel Picavet
• Christian Robitaille
• Ricardo Viale
• Ieva Zake