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DISCUSSION
conscious or unconscious manner. If the construction of social reality
by individuals is made unconsciously, a contradiction will exist between
the intentions and the outcome of actions. Consequently, the solution
for such a discrepancy is critique, self-consciousness, and democratic
participation. In this way, the gap between consciousness and social
structure would cease to exist. 12 Structuralist theory of a natural
contradiction between structure and consciousness, therefore, is con-
ceived by Habermas to be an ideological and false consciousness. While
Althusser's structuralism finds historicism ideological t3, Habermas'
theory defines ideology in terms of the reification of socio-historical
reality. But if democracy can properly link consciousness to social
structures, as Habermas assumes, practical rationality must be defined
in terms of the premises of critical consensus theory.
(2) The epistemological and methodological premises of Habermas'
theory provide further support for his position on the question of
rationality. His theory of the objective interests of various types of
knowledge, his theory of hermeneutics and depth-hermeneutics, and his
notion of critique are clear methodological grounds for Habermas'
theory of rationality. Corresponding to his ontological distinction
between the systems of actions and interaction, Habermas specifies two
fundamental interests that underlie human cognitive activities. The
interest in power, control, and domination relates to the instrumental
and technological aspect of the construction of historical reality by
human subjects.14 The activity of symbolic construction, however,
corresponds to objective interests in intersubjectivity and increasing
communication among the subjects.15 The conditions of the possibility
of truth should be sought in terms of the fulfillment of these objective
interests. It is clear that practical rationality is defined through the
requirements of the objective interest in expansion of communication
and consensus while instrumental rationality deals with the interest in
control and mastery over nature. Habermas' notion of knowledge and
interest leads to his classification of the sciences. While the science of
nature is monological, hermeneutics and the mode of social sciences
is dialogical. 16 Again, Habermas' theory of practical rationality cor-
responds to the logic of socio-historical understanding and aims at
dialogue and definition of norms and meanings through free communi-
cation.