Discourse on rationality: rational choice and critical theory

[摘要] The thesis contrasts two hostile and divergent intellectual paradigms in socialsciences: rational choice and critical theory. Both rational choice and critical theoryoffer contrasting perspectives on the structures of social interaction. However,both critical theory and rational choice theory share overlapping concerns ie., bothare preoccupied with determining what rational can mean in the realm of socialand political interaction.In the case of rational choice paradigm, instrumental reason forms thecornerstone of the theoretical edifice. Ever since the publication of JurgenHabermas' The lhemy qf Communicative Action Vol. / (1984) and Vol. II (1986)instrumental reason has come under severe attack. His critique anchors on a theoryof communicative reason. What makes Habermas' work distinctive is that he doesnot regard instrumental reason as the single inevitable concomitant of modernity.Habermas sees in modernity an alternative way of conceptualising social interactionin terms of communication rather than strategy. So in a way, his work is a challenge to the defenders of modernity aiming to build a unified social scienceJurgen Habermas advances the notion of communicative reason as thecenterpiece of a social theory as opposed to instrumental reason. By providing asystematic grounding of the concept of reason in human language, he hopes toestablish normative basis of critical theory. This model of reaching agreement orconsent constitutes a process of dialogue in which reasons are exchanged betweenparticipants. This process is perceived to be a joint search for consensus. Such adialogic concept of collective choice would necessarily work not with fixedpreferences to be amalgamated (as rational choice theories do) but withpreferences that are altered or modified as competing reasons are advanced in thecourse of discussion. In rational discussion, the only thing supposed to count is thepower of better argument.Both rational choice and critical theory conceptualise politics in differentways. Rational choice theories critique democratic mechanisms failing to generategeneral will. Consequently, the political prescriptions offered are limitedgovernment or market. On the contrary, the political implications of Habermas'theory of deliberative democracy is anchored in the notion of liberal public sphere envisaging a cognitivist, rationalist vision in which discourse forms a criticalnormative basis for evaluating the political and moral principles.

[发布机构] University:University of Glasgow;Department:School of Social and Political Sciences

[关键词] B Philosophy (General)