Empiricism and Reason in Harriet Martineau’s Sociology

The architecture and evolution of Harriet Martineau\u27s sociological epistemology epitomize an essential tension between abstract theory and concrete empiricism. The body of Martineau\u27s intellectual work demonstrates a major conceptual shift, from early religious convictions to subsequent rejection of all metaphysical systems. How to Observe Morals and Manners lies midway in this journey. The epistemological and biographical route to Martineau\u27s adamant repudiation of metaphysics was long, personally tumultuous, and grounded fundamentally in empirical studies of social conditions. I focus here on the give-and-take between metaphysics, empiricism, and rationality in Harriet Martineau\u27s sociological work. Part one of this essay highlights the major epistemological points advanced by Martineau in How to Observe Morals and Manners. The second, longer part outlines Martineau\u27s epistemological development as a social theorist and locates How to Observe Morals and Manners within her intellectual biography as a whole