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Can there Be Causal Effects on the Macro Level?
Abstract
The comment focuses on a classic controversial issue for methodological individualism, whether there are causal relationships between macro variables. According to analytical sociology and rational choice theory only correlations obtain at the macro level, and suggest mechanisms to explain them. Daniel Little challenges this argument, advancing a "methodological pluralism" that uses a micro-foundation, but allows causality on the macro level. In this comment, some arguments are provided that support the claim of methodological individualism.
Keywords
- Macro laws
- micro-macro modeling
- analytical sociology
- rational choice theory
- methodological individualism