Situated Reason, Contextuality, and the Limits of Formalism: A Critical Hermeneutic Perspective

Of the several possible meanings of formalism, I relate to it here as pertaining to the justification of knowledge claims and/or the making of socio-political decisions using strictly rule-determined procedures, often in response to systems imperatives. Of particular concern with reference to the workshop theme are the ways in which such restrictive formalism negatively impacts life-world decision-making, denies a role to judgement, and erodes intersubjective communication and responsibility. I address these concerns from a critical hermeneutic standpoint, drawing on the complementary insights of Jürgen Habermas and Han-Georg Gadamer.