Construction in contention - Toward consequential resolutions

The present critiques are framed within a tradition that views argumentatio n as a pathway to truth, objectivity and purity of reason. The construction ist dialogues substantially refigure these criterial concepts, conceptualiz ing them as artifacts of historically and culturally situated communities. Troubles begin when any particular community begins to declare alterior rea lities null and void. The constructionist dialogues invite us to replace qu estions of truth in all worlds with communal deliberation on the future out comes-both for psychology and global cultures - of varying forms of intelli gibility. In this respect, constructionist discourse harbors the potential for enormous gains in creative collaboration, a condition I find far more p romising than the bounded worlds of realism and rationalism favored by thes e critiques. A liberal constructionism would not abandon the traditions fro m which these critiques emerge, while the unbridled expansion of any of the se traditions would eliminate all save its own.