Methodological Individualism and Analytic Philosophy of Action

The essay aims to show how in the analytic theory of action the alternative between an individualistic and an anti-individualistic perspective in explaining human behavior has been revived. The Wittgensteinian approaches to action are demonstrated to be a linguistic reformulation of Durkheim views, while the Davidsonian causal approach to action is demonstrated to be basically of individualistic nature, akin to the Weberian theory of social action.