Contra Penner, What's Really Wrong with Functional Explanations
Hans Penner offered a prominent line of criticism of social functionalism in the study of religion. Penner took exception to social-functional claims when these are presented as explanations. Following Carl Hempel, he argued that such explanations very often commit the logical fallacy of affirming t...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Oxford University Press
[2018]
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In: |
Journal of the American Academy of Religion
Year: 2018, Volume: 86, Issue: 3, Pages: 665-690 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Penner, Hans H. 1934-2012
/ Functionalism
/ Science of Religion
/ Martin, Craig 1976-, A critical introduction to the study of religion
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RelBib Classification: | AA Study of religion AD Sociology of religion; religious policy |
Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
Summary: | Hans Penner offered a prominent line of criticism of social functionalism in the study of religion. Penner took exception to social-functional claims when these are presented as explanations. Following Carl Hempel, he argued that such explanations very often commit the logical fallacy of affirming the consequent. I argue that Penner was wrong about social functionalism. I draw on the work of some contemporaries of Penner who rejected Hempel's model of scientific explanation and defended the propriety of social-functional explanation, particularly in connection with Marxian theory, and argue that rather than being functionalism's Achilles' heel, explanation is its foundation. I then apply my position to a recent book by Craig Martin that advocates for social functionalism in the study of religion. I conclude that, because it marginalizes explanation, the book offers little in the way of reasons to think that religious phenomena serve social functions. |
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ISSN: | 1477-4585 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: American Academy of Religion, Journal of the American Academy of Religion
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1093/jaarel/lfy002 |