This chapter treats a variety of epistemological issues surrounding generative explanation in the social sciences, and discusses the role of agent-based computational models in generative social science.

Biographical note: EpsteinJoshua M.: Joshua M. Epstein is a Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, a founding member of the Brookings-Johns Hopkins Center on Social and Economic Dynamics, and a member of the External Faculty of the Santa Fe Institute. He is the coauthor...

Prelude to chapter 1 : the generativist manifesto --Ch. 1.Agent-based computational models and generative social science /Joshua M. Epstein --Prelude to chapter 2 : confession of a wandering bark --Ch. 2.Remarks on the foundations of agent-based generative social science /Joshua M. Epstein...