Beyond Positivism: Habermas’ Critical Engagement with Scientific Rationality

Abstract

There is an assumption that natural science and social science must use the same methods in order to have a methodological unity of natural and social science. This assumption is developed primarily due to the reliance on the dominant approach called positivism or scientism. The notion of positivism or scientism which means using scientific facts and data-driven methods can provide real knowledge. The objectives of this paper is to take up Habermas’ position regarding this narrow views. Habermas’ argues that the belief that only scientific facts and data ignore how human actually think and interact or understand the world. He explores how our personal and social goals influence directly and indirectly what we consider ‘knowledge’. The paper also argued that Habermas’ ideas are not perfect and has not solved the realist approach to sociology. Therefore, Habermas reviews his own social theories and his attempts to fix problems in traditional Marxism and mainstream sociology. Again it is argued that sociology can get better if it keeps questioning and engaging with these complex ideas about science and reason through a critical dialogue with Habermas’ critical social theory.