After Postmodernism: An Introduction to Critical Realism

What comes after "postmodernism"? A buzzword which began as an energizing, radical critique became, by the 20th century's end, a byword for fracture, eclecticism, political apathy and intellectual exhaustion. The last few years have seen growing interest in critical realism as a possible, alternative way of moving forward. The virtues of critical realism lie in its successful provision of a philosophical grounding for the social sciences and humanities and of a methodology applicable to many different fields of analysis.

After Postmodernism brings together some of the best-known names in the field to present the first truly interdisciplinary introduction to critical realism. The book presents the reader with a compendium of accessible essays illustrating the connections between meta-theory, theory and substantive research across sociology, philosophy, literary studies, politics, media studies, psychology and science studies. The flexibility of critical realism is illustrated in the range of topics discussed -- ranging from quantum mechanics to cyberspace, to literary theory, nature, smoking, the future of Marx, the unconscious, and, of course, postmodernism and the future of theory.