This book analyzes how the 'rival' approaches of social science, economics, and evolutionary science understand various dimensions of human interests, and what these human sciences can learn from each other. It examines practical examples of empirical studies within the three approaches along with their theoretical positions. Furthermore, the book develops an integrative framework based on the logic of 'social rationality', a rationality which underlies all the book's themes: stable and flexible, manifest and latent, culturally particular and universal, and individual and collective interests.

Introduction

Part I: Manifest and Latent Interests

1. Dual systems in the human sciences

2. The Apollonian dimension

3. The Dionysian dimension

Part II: Universal and Culturally Specific Interests

4. Glory, honour, or at least esteem

5. The blank slate and its critics

6. Understanding the prepared slate

Part III: Interests, Continuity and Change

7. Economics: Interests, continuity and change

8. Social science: Interests, continuity & change

9. Evolutionary theory: Interests, continuity and change

Conclusions

References

Mikael Klintman is Professor of Sociology at Lund University, Sweden, and Visiting Academic of St. Anthony's College, Oxford University, UK. He studies obstacles to knowledge exchange across the human sciences in issues of environment and health. Klintman's previous publications include Citizen-Consumers and Evolution (Palgrave, 2012).