Theoretical Self-Consciousness

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Abstract
This thoughtful essay is in the sociology of (political science) knowledge provocatively charts the boundaries of truth. Normative appraisal and explanatory theory are closely interrelated, Connolly argues, as he indicates the normative implications generated by consensus and conflict perspectives. He notes the difficulty of communicating across different perspectives, urges the responsibility of the social scientist to achieve selfconsciousness about his own and competing theories, and argues tentatively (though some readers may rebel vigorously, despite the author's decent modesty) for giving a certain benefit of the doubt, in instances where the available evidence is inconclusive, to the more optimistic assumption about human nature, because of the practical consequences of the assumptions we make.

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