It is well known that the movement of social constructionism rests on foundations
laid by Alfred Schutz, but the relationship between his thought and epistemological
constructivism has scarcely been addressed. Scholars devoted to the investigation
of Schutz’s oeuvre paid little systematic attention to the specific constructivist
character of his epistemological position, and proponents of the modern form of epistemological
constructivism, second order cyberneticians and radical constructivists have failed
to recognize Schutz’s relevance for their project. This paper attempts to show that
Schutz’s epistemologically oriented phenomenological-pragmatic theory is compatible
with the core tenets of epistemological constructivism and proposes to erect a bridge
between Schutzian minded interpretive sociology and constructivism, where arguments
could travel both ways. After a brief introduction to Schutz’s theory and Ernst von
Glasersfeld’s radical constructivism, I try to point out some topics, where intellectual
transfer would be beneficial for both camps.
