Cinta de Moebio: Revista de Epistemología de Ciencias Sociales

Ruffini, M. (2017) El enfoque epistemológico de la teoría crítica y su actualidad. Cinta moebio 60: 306-315. doi: 10.4067/S0717-554X2017000300306

PDF

Critical theory epistemological perspective and its actuality

María Luz Ruffini (ruffiniluz@gmail.com) Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Córdoba, Argentina) ORCID: 0000-0002-4101-2396


Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the epistemological approach -as defined by J. Padrón- called critical theory. In the first part, we explain its ontological dimension through the category of totality, as T. Adorno and M. Horkheimer develop it throughout their works, in opposition to Popperian empiricism. In the following section, we analyse the gnoseological dimension of critical theory around the political in scientific production, using as a driving axis the debate between K. Popper and T. Adorno with special emphasis on the link between science and praxis, the production of scientific knowledge and a critical and transformational intentionality of the social world, which constitutes a partially meta-theoretical basis for this approach. Finally, in the conclusions, we explain some central implications for the current social research: the increasing fragmentation and hyper specialization of the scientific field against the ontological notion of totality, and the need to follow the critical construction of knowledge with an adequate meta-critical theoretical and practical position of the researcher.

Key words: critical theory, totality, praxis, positivism, metacritical.

Home | Indice | Números Completos | Instrucción para Autores
Cinta de Moebio
Revista de Epistemología de Ciencias Sociales
ISSN 0717-554X