The Failure of Roy Bhaskar's Explanatory Critique

Abstract

According to Roy Bhaskar, social science can derive values from social facts by a process called “explanatory critique.” Bhaskar offers two different versions of explanatory critique: a belief‐based version and a need‐based version. Both versions are faced with a difficult objection. They seem either to employ an invalid inference or to assume the values that they are attempting to derive. I argue that at least the need‐based version of Bhaskar's explanatory critique falls to the objection, and that the belief‐based version on its own is insufficient. Bhaskar anticipates the objection and offers a defense. I show that his defense is unsuccessful. I also suggest a Baskar‐inspired alternative explanatory critique.