Analytical sociology and its ‘syntax’ for explanation

Abstract

Analytical sociology is a set of rules for the construction of causal explanations in the social sciences. In this article, I critically assess the value and evolution of this ‘syntax’ for explanation and the concept of social mechanisms on which it relies. I also offer a proposal on how to reform and expand the ideal-typical analytical research path. In short, my proposal is characterized by (a) a generative conception of explanation; (b) a conception of social mechanisms as causal chains of micro-level (that is, individual) events; (c) a denial of downward and upward causation; and (d) a focus on testing the generative sufficiency and describing the generative processes of empirically calibrated agent-based models.