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- Title
Possibilism: An Approach to Problem-Solving Derived from the Life and Work of Albert O. Hirschman.
- Authors
Lepenies, Philipp H.
- Abstract
Albert O. Hirschman is the author of seminal, but prima facie unconnected contributions to the social sciences (‘exit–voice’, ‘linkages’). Yet, his main originality lies in his general approach to problem-solving which is hidden behind the complexity of his oeuvre. This article intends to disentangle the intricacies of his work and to reveal his specific mode of investigation by making the multifaceted biographical influences on Hirschman's scholarly writings visible. Exhibiting the influence that decisive moments in his life had on his work not only allows us to identify and define his method of ‘possibilism’: it also shows that this approach remains a valid and useful multidisciplinary tool for unorthodox contemporary social analysis.
- Subjects
SOCIAL sciences; HIRSCHMAN, Albert O., 1915-2012; PROBLEM solving; SOCIAL scientists; POSSIBILITY; PHILOSOPHICAL analysis
- Publication
Development & Change, 2008, Vol 39, Issue 3, p437
- ISSN
0012-155X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1467-7660.2008.00487.x