Publication at Faculty of Social Sciences |
2016
Abstract
The article deals with the tension between "value-freeness" or "objectivity" and the critical intention in the sociology of Peter L. Berger.
I put forward the thesis that Berger's approach to this problem is inconsistent: Berger often claims his sociology to be value-free, but close investigation discovers implied value-laden contents, consisting in an appeal to human freedom in existentialist sense of the word and critique of what is inconsistent with this appeal. In the article, I analyse this inconsistency and identify the points through which these values leak into Berger's sociology.
I suggest that the value contents are essential to Berger's sociology, which is why his work should be read as an outline of a critique of consciousness.