Constructivism as a bridge between philosophy and science (2025)
Alexander Riegler
In: Padovani F. & Tuboly Á.(eds.) The Routledge handbook of the history of philosophy of science after Kant. Routledge, London: 367–377
Constructivists claim that the cognitive subject constructs her reality on the basis of experiences. This turns the metaphysical-ontological concept of “reality” into a purely epistemological one. They also support the general idea that cognitive structures are actively constructed in service of organizing one’s experiential reality. They favor a subjective perspective, and their explanations build on cybernetic concepts such as circularity, self-reference, eigenbehavior, and canalization. I identify three increasingly diverse types of constructivism – radical, interdisciplinary, and pluralistic constructivism –, and discuss challenges related to constructivists’ agnostic relationship with reality, the accusation of arbitrariness, as well as social and ethical implications.
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author = {Riegler A.},
title = {Constructivism as a bridge between philosophy and science},
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journal = {In: Padovani F. & Tuboly Á.(eds.) The Routledge handbook of the history of philosophy of science after Kant. Routledge, London: 367–377},
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%X Constructivists claim that the cognitive subject constructs her reality on the basis of experiences. This turns the metaphysical-ontological concept of “reality” into a purely epistemological one. They also support the general idea that cognitive structures are actively constructed in service of organizing one’s experiential reality. They favor a subjective perspective, and their explanations build on cybernetic concepts such as circularity, self-reference, eigenbehavior, and canalization. I identify three increasingly diverse types of constructivism – radical, interdisciplinary, and pluralistic constructivism –, and discuss challenges related to constructivists’ agnostic relationship with reality, the accusation of arbitrariness, as well as social and ethical implications.
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A1 - Riegler A.
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AB - Constructivists claim that the cognitive subject constructs her reality on the basis of experiences. This turns the metaphysical-ontological concept of “reality” into a purely epistemological one. They also support the general idea that cognitive structures are actively constructed in service of organizing one’s experiential reality. They favor a subjective perspective, and their explanations build on cybernetic concepts such as circularity, self-reference, eigenbehavior, and canalization. I identify three increasingly diverse types of constructivism – radical, interdisciplinary, and pluralistic constructivism –, and discuss challenges related to constructivists’ agnostic relationship with reality, the accusation of arbitrariness, as well as social and ethical implications.
JF - In: Padovani F. & Tuboly Á.(eds.) The Routledge handbook of the history of philosophy of science after Kant. Routledge, London: 367–377
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Riegler A. (2025) Constructivism as a bridge between philosophy and science. In: Padovani F. & Tuboly Á.(eds.) The Routledge handbook of the history of philosophy of science after Kant. Routledge, London: 367–377. Available at https://constructivist.info/riegler/105