In Critical Theory Of Society (1969) Albrecht Wellmer announced a critique of positivist assumptions inward the report of society. Proc...
In Critical Theory Of Society (1969) Albrecht Wellmer announced a critique of positivist assumptions inward the report of society. Proceeding from the perspective of critical theory in addition to especially Horkheimer in addition to Adorno, Wellmer denounced the comprehend of positivism past times "bourgeois" social science. But mayhap to a greater extent than surprisingly, he addresses this critique to Marx's scheme every bit well.
Probably Horkheimer himself offered the most impressive declaration of the Frankfurt school's justice of its ain component subdivision in addition to importance when, inward his article on traditional in addition to "critical" theory, he joined number amongst bourgeois scientific discipline in addition to its objectivist misconception of its ain nature. The essay shows clearly that the confrontation betwixt critical, Marxist in addition to traditional "bourgeois" scientific discipline had hardly moved past times so into the vague realm of methodological abstractions; to the extent that the debate was concerned amongst methodology, critical theory was to a greater extent than inclined to sentiment it every bit the mere reflection of actual social conflicts. (10)The principal thrusts against positivism consist of the claim that positivists await at social arrangements every bit purely objective in addition to factual; whereas they demand interpretation.
Apart from strict behaviorists, social scientists would inward full general no longer dispute the fact that access to the measured or observed data of their champaign of report is obtained through the medium of communication. but, they opine, the purpose of interpretations finishes amongst its provision of a way of access to the data, in addition to mayhap also of a heuristic value for the uncovering of explanations; inward addition, they would claim for their scientific discipline the methodological condition of a natural science, in addition to therefor of a scientific discipline entitled, amongst the assistance of universal laws, to explicate in addition to predict odd phenomena. (35)And positivism assumes that value perspectives tin last filtered out inward the perception of facts; whereas critical theorists hold that perspective is inseparable from perception. (Proletarians run across the social the world differently from the bourgeois.)
So what is "critical social science"? To start, it is hermeneutic, according to Wellmer: it has to do amongst the interpretation of meanings inward social action.
It has already been shown that explanatory sociology is ever interpretative sociology every bit well; in addition to that an interpretative sociology cannot last just a subjective sociology of the interpretation of meaning. It is also clear forthwith that the empirical content of social scientific theories is specially proportional to the historical concretion to which they attain. (38)Further, critical social scientific discipline is fundamentally responsive to historical context. So hermeneutic interpretation cannot last extracted from its historical context.
So much of the specific content of a sure enough historical menstruum enters into the basic theoretical assumptions in addition to the framework of reference used for categorization, that its hypotheses cannot last transferred without violence to to a greater extent than distant socio-historical situations. (36)This indicate parallels the post-positivist sentiment that observation is theory-laden; but it goes beyond that past times postulating that social observations are framed past times conceptual systems that are themselves historically specific.
Third, critical social scientific discipline rests on a recognition (even to a greater extent than explicit inward Habermas) that knowledge in addition to involvement are interwoven:
Already apparent is the changed relation of theory in addition to practise that exists for a critical social theory derived cast a practical involvement inward cognition. Critical theory is derivable from a notion of the "good life" already available to it every bit component subdivision of the socio-historical province of affairs it subjects to analysis; which, every bit the notion of an acknowledgement of each private every bit a someone past times each other individual, in addition to every bit the thought of a non-coercive communal human life of dialogue, is a draft pregnant of history already fragmentarily embodied inward a society's traditions in addition to institutions. (41)The tension betwixt the Frankfurt School in addition to orthodox Marxist theory is evident here, because Wellmer's critique of "bourgeois social science" is extended to Marx himself.
The critique of the objectivism of Marx's philosophy of history was directed at a latently positivistic misconception, which, according to Habermas's thesis, arises from the component subdivision played past times the concept of labor. (67)"Objectivism" hither way the opinion of the social researcher to consider the social every bit "given", non dependent area to interpretation. And Wellmer argues that in that place is a strand of Marx's thought that does exactly that. Marx's materialist theory of history -- "history consists of a dialectic of alter driven past times conflict betwixt the forces in addition to relations of production" -- leaves no room for the radical interpretivism that Wellmer favors. Crudely, Marx inward the German Ideology in addition to Capital is non at all interested inward the ideas that men in addition to women have, but rather the objective scheme of social relations that underlies their actions in addition to interactions. Even arguments that Marx makes close ideology, simulated consciousness, in addition to fetishism of commodities takes the cast of demystification -- dissolution of the scheme of simulated consciousness rather than interpretation of how these representations relate to the workings of the social order. Consciousness plays no purpose inward the dynamics of history. And inward fact Wellmer believes that this opinion plays a self-defeating purpose inward Marx's system:
The matrimony of historical materialism in addition to the criticism of political economic scheme inward Marx's social theory is inherently contradictory. (74)What Wellmer favors for social theory is expressed here:
This way that critical theory does non wishing to supplant an ideological consciousness amongst a scientific consciousness, but -- of course of education past times way of empirical in addition to historical analyses -- to help the practical ground existing inward the for of ideological consciousness to "call to mind" its distorted form, in addition to at the same fourth dimension to larn command of its practical-utopian contents. Ultimately, therefore, critical theory tin seek out itself entirely past times initiating a reflective dissolution of simulated consciousness resulting inward liberating praxis: the successful dissolution of simulated consciousness every bit an integrative facial expression of emancipatory practise is the proper touchstone for its truth. (72)So Wellmer's "critical theory of society" is criticism all the way down: critique of the assumptions close knowledge, action, in addition to social relations that underlie both bourgeois social scientific discipline in addition to large swathes of Marx's ain theoretical framework. In house of orthodox "empiricist" ideas close empirical confirmation in addition to "hypothetico-deductive method", he advocates the "hypothetico-practical model of validation. Those theories which unfold into a footing for human liberation are for that ground rationally preferable to those that do not. Rather than theory in addition to observation, Wellmer's philosophy of scientific discipline rests on a sentiment of theory in addition to praxis, or theory in addition to liberation.
However, it is hard today to translate this serial of observations every bit a serious in addition to credible approach to social scientific discipline epistemology. It offers suggestive ideas close what is involved inward making feel of a given historical-social reality. But it gives trivial guidance close how to evaluate diverse theories in addition to interpretations.
(The selection of Millet's paradigm "Peasants planting potatoes" is apt for a give-and-take of Wellmer's philosophy of social science. The paradigm represents a laid of "facts"; but nosotros cannot say what facts these are without substantial interpretation, in addition to diverse interpretations are possible. The paradigm mightiness last regarded every bit a small-scale slice of critical social theory all past times itself, amongst a gesture towards social reality, a depiction that tin last understood every bit a scheme of domination, in addition to a telephone phone for liberation.)
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