Substantive rationalities in the socio-environmental debate

This is a study guided by questions centered not on instrumental rationalities, but on marginal rationalities, such as substantive and communicative rationalities. Conclusions are drawn that provide new epistemological clues and methodological strategies capable of guiding studies centered not only on dualistic antagonisms, but in terms of complementarity without denying conflicts. If, on the one hand, the aforementioned sources inspired the approach of this thesis, on the other hand, the notion of substantive rationality is not enough to deal with socio-environmental issues. It is a category attributed exclusively to the human species, and its analysis is centered only on the socio-cultural system. This closure of the concept denies other levels of complexity. In order to open up not only the concept of instrumental rationality, but also that of substantive rationality, a complex concept of rationality emerges, a concept of "open rationality".

Autorentext

José Edmilson de Souza-Lima has a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences (UFPR), a Master's degree in Political Sociology (UFSC), a PhD and a Post-Doctorate in Environment and Development (UFPR). His research focuses on environmental sciences from a sociological perspective.