Philosophical Foundations of Social Work

Social work rests on complex philosophical assumptions that should be central to practice, education, and training. In this book, Frederic G. Reamer explores how these issues bear on the purpose, methods, and perspectives of social work and their far-reaching implications for practice and scholarship.Reamer examines major themes across the domains of moral and political philosophy, logic, epistemology, and aesthetics. He raises questions such as: How can ethical theories inform social workers’ moral judgments? In what ways are canons of inductive and deductive logic relevant to social workers’ thinking about their work? To what extent can scientific inquiry help social workers understand the nature and effect of their interventions? How can concepts related to aesthetics shed light on the nature of social work? Reamer’s nuanced inquiry never loses sight of the concrete applications of philosophy to social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, or to broader goals of social change.This second edition of The Philosophical Foundations of Social Work is revised and updated throughout to address contemporary challenges. It focuses especially on newer thinking about the role of non-Western philosophical perspectives and the relevance of philosophy to social workers’ commitments to multiculturalism, feminism, and antiracism.

Good action in social work practice and research is founded on moral and ethical considerations coupled with sound logic and skills. The Philosophical Foundations of Social Work is essential to understanding the centrality of moral and ethical underpinnings as on par with the technical and empirical factors in the decisions of social work researchers and practitioners., Frederic G. Reamer has contributed to the development of social work’s ethical foundations, and in his revised edition of The Philosophical Foundations of Social Work, he extends his analysis to other pertinent branches of philosophy. By showing how each of these applies to social work, Reamer has made a unique and important contribution to social work scholarship.

Frederic G. Reamer is professor at the School of Social Work at Rhode Island College. His recent Columbia University Press books include Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in the Human Services (third edition, 2020), Social Work Values and Ethics (fifth edition, 2018), and On the Parole Board: Reflections on Crime, Punishment, Redemption, and Justice (2016).