Introduction: The legacy of Ian C. Jarvie

Abstract

Ian C. Jarvie is a leading philosopher of the social sciences of our age. While engaged in an ascending career, he described himself as a professional in an unresolved identity crisis. Turning his personal crisis into a professional tool, he has been introducing Popperian insights in the philosophy of science writ large into particular studies in the social sciences. His proposals are characterized by the recommendation we consider all activity as problem-solving (and not search for justifications). This invites improvable explanations and ongoing rethinking.