In The Ant Trap, Brian Epstein rewrites our understanding of the nature of the social world and the foundations of the social sciences. He develops a new model of the social world, and shows that the actions and intentions of social groups often depend on more than their members.

An extremely serious and significant book, as good a treatment of the metaphysics of the social world as there is, by some way. It provides an outstandingly elegant illustration of why metaphysical foundations really matter to the practice of science, and opens the door to a more productive philosophy of social science than has hitherto been available. The arguments are careful and rigorous, with the right mixture of theories and examples, arriving at quite original conclusions. The book is praised as beautiful and engaging, original and ambitious, exemplary in its clarity, and extremely enjoyable to read.

"More important, however, is Epstein's account of the social world in terms of "grounding," "framing," and "anchoring"; it seems to offer hope of providing a better, more useful understanding of the social world. This is an important book; the author is well versed in recent literature, careful, and clear... Recommended." --Choice "The Ant Trap is a powerful book that challenges individualist assumptions that have guided social theory and philosophy of social science over the past several decades. It also shows why good metaphysics matters. It is a must-read both for those working in the foundations of social science, and for anyone in philosophy interested, quite broadly, in ontology and explanation. The book demonstrates clearly how interdisciplinary philosophical work can inform, and transform, inquiry in several fields, including philosophy itself." - Sally Haslanger, Ford Professor of Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "This book is one of the most thought-provoking contributions to the philosophy of social science I have read in years. To make progress in the social sciences, Brian Epstein argues, we need to clear up some metaphysical confusions about the nature of social objects, properties, and facts. Epstein proposes a new model of social reality, based on the distinction between 'grounding' and 'anchoring', which illuminates the relationship between social and non-social features of the world. Beautifully written and packed with insights, this book is an essential read for anyone interested in the foundations of the social sciences." - Christian List, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy, London School of Economics, and Fellow of the British Academy "For anyone interested in social ontology, The Ant Trap should be the very next book you read. It not only fashions sharper tools for the analysis of social phenomena, it provides a new perspective on the debates in social ontology, and shines a bright and not very flattering light on the current consensus. It does what the best philosophical works can do: It improves the questions we are asking." -- Metascience "Brian Epstein has produced an ambitious, innovative approach to the analytical explanation of social facts and entities, including small and large social groups, collective actions, public artifacts, organizations, etc. Throughout, he urges a deep openness to unexplored methodological and ontological possibilities not exemplified in current social science practice or theory and systematically demonstrates how new analytical tools address what he sees as lacunae or confusions in current theory." -- Philosophy in Review

Selling point: Develops a new theory of the social world Selling point: Overturns longstanding assumptions that are built into the methods of the social sciences Selling point: Makes controversial claims about the nature of the social world, arguing that--paradoxically--social theory has focused too much on the role of people in building the social world

Brian Epstein received his PhD in philosophy from Stanford University, his master's in philosophy from Oxford University, and graduated summa cum laude with an AB in philosophy from Princeton University. His research interests include philosophy of social science, metaphysics, and philosophy of language, focusing in particular on issues in the theory of reference and the ontology of social kinds. He also has interests in conceptual schemes, the philosophy of music, and the philosophy of economics. Between degree programs, he worked at a number of technology startups and consulting firms.

Selling point: Develops a new theory of the social world Selling point: Overturns longstanding assumptions that are built into the methods of the social sciences Selling point: Makes controversial claims about the nature of the social world, arguing that--paradoxically--social theory has focused too much on the role of people in building the social world