Popper presents the concept of methodological individualism from "summary" of The Poverty of Historicism by Karl Popper
Popper argues that one of the key principles of his approach is methodological individualism. This principle asserts that social phenomena should be understood and explained in terms of the actions and interactions of individuals, rather than as the outcome of some collective or abstract entity. In other words, social explanations should ultimately be reducible to the actions, beliefs, and intentions of individual human beings. According to Popper, methodological individualism is essential for avoiding the pitfalls of historicism, which tends to treat societies as if they were living organisms with their own purpose and direction. By focusing on the actions of individuals, we can avoid the temptation to see history as a deterministic process driven by some overarching force or law. Popper acknowledges that there are complex interactions and emergent pr...
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