The Unanticipated Consequences of Purposive Social Action

1936/12/01 by Robert Κ. Merton · 10 citations
Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Weber, Simmel, Sociological Theory #Political Philosophy and Ethics #Economic Theory and Institutions

paper · doi:10.2307/2084615

openalex publication_date 1936/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

Methodological difficulties in researching unanticipated consequences of purposive action are exposed, while focusing on deviations from rationality of social action.

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