Rationalist Alternative and Praxeology of Communication

Just because most contemporary research in communication studies is based on empiricist assumptions does not imply that no alternative epistemology for communication can exist. In the previous chapters, I demonstrated why both positivism and interpretivism are not ideal methodological paradigms for the development of communication science. I also explained how their deficiencies are exacerbated by the fact that both paradigms rely on the same empirical research tradition. The criticism of positivist methodology does not stem from a debate about whether communication should be studied empirically, but rather about which other empirical methods should be used. The qualitative vs quantitative debate only disputes which empirical methods are most suitable for communication studies. Furthermore, even for constructivist epistemology, the empirical foundations of communication have never been in question.