This book seeks to identify the main threads of a resolutely complex course of thought which has contributed greatly to sociology. Although he founded no “school,” Raymond Boudon certainly made original contributions to the discipline in his own time, including his theory of rationality, his interpretation of the work of the founders of sociology, and his explanation of educational inequalities. He also presented convincing arguments about how the overly narrow utilitarianism of mainstream economists was incomplete and betrayed major theoretical gaps. It is true in any case that his thought laid the groundwork for many theoretical and empirical social studies. Through an analysis of the most important parts of this thought, each of the chapters will not merely demonstrate the scientific rigor which can be associated to his work, but also show how it remains relevant to our understanding of contemporary society and how it can hence be used for future research projects.

There can be no doubt, Boudon’s thought has for various reasons undergone new assessments. Chapters included in this book hence reflect a variety of points of view on how his work can be understood, criticized, and used for future research endeavors.

The authors of this book are from different horizons. The present collection of essays, as will be seen, includes contributors from no fewer than two or three generations of social scientists whose thinking is rooted in many different intellectual traditions. Yet, these scholars all share in common a special concern for how Boudon’s work can be seen as being of great importance for the proper understanding of social phenomena.

Christian Robitaille is a lecturer (assistant professor) in sociology at Liverpool Hope University. His research focuses on theories of rationality, epistemology, the sociology of action, and the history of social scientific thought.

Robert Leroux is a professor of sociology at the University of Ottawa. His main research interests are linked to the history of social sciences, French thought, epistemology, and theory.

Anthem Companions to Sociology

Introduction - Christian Robitaille; Chapter 1. Raymond Boudon’s Methodological Individualism- Massimo Borlandi; Chapter 2. Methodological Individualism as an Explanatory Practice: Raymond Boudon and the Implicit Methodology of Tocqueville’s and Durkheim’s Empirical Sociology - Francesco Di Iorio and Enzo Di Nuoscio; Chapter 3. The Idea of Rationality in Raymond Boudon’s Theory: A Discussion - Pierre Demeulenaere; Chapter 4. Raymond Boudon and Moral Value Judgments: Interaction and Substance - Emmanuel Picavet; Chapter 5. The Epistemology of Beliefs in Boudon’s Sociology: From the Social Subject to the Evolution of Politics, Morality and Religion - Nathalie Bulle and Jean-Michel Morin; Chapter 6. Some Theoretical Deductions from Boudon’s Model of Social Mobility - Renaud Fillieule; Chapter 7. For a Critique of “Critical Sociology”: Raymond Boudon’s Tools for the Intellectual Rebuilding of the Discipline - Alexander Riley; Chapter 8. Raymond Boudon’s Social Theory as a General Research Program: Applications of Boudon’s Work Since His Death (2013-2023) and Future Perspectives - Christian Robitaille; List of Contributors; Index of Names