This paper explains the role of methodological individualism as a methodology for the social sciences by briefly discussing its forerunners in economics and sociology, especially in the works of Carl Menger and Max Weber, followed by some comments on Karl Popper’s and other critical rationalists’ contributions as well as rational choice theories. Some recent arguments against methodological rationalism are then provided, including counterarguments, mainly based on exemplary work by economists and sociologists. This paper proposes a scheme for analyses using (weak) methodological individualism, in particular, arguing that evolutionary approaches to the explanation of economic and other social phenomena that accord with methodological individualism suggest that it is a successful and progressive methodology for economics and sociology.

本文通过简要讨论其在经济学和社会学中的先驱，特别是卡尔·门格尔和马克斯·韦伯的著作，解释了方法论个人主义作为社会科学方法论的作用，随后对卡尔·波普尔和其他批判理性主义者的贡献发表了一些评论：以及理性选择理论。然后提供了一些最近反对方法论理性主义的论点，包括反驳论点，主要基于经济学家和社会学家的典型工作。本文提出了一种使用（弱）方法论个人主义进行分析的方案，特别是认为，与方法论个人主义相一致的解释经济和其他社会现象的进化方法表明，它是经济学和社会学的一种成功和进步的方法论。