The subject in the world of social constructions

The paper presents critical analysis of social constructionist approach to the problem of the subject. This problem is regarded in two main aspects – the subject as the Self and as a person on one hand and the subject of scientific knowledge on the other. The definitions of the main concepts used by social constructionists (social construction, discourse, voice) is given. The specifics of social constructionism in comparison with constructivism and social constructivism is considered, and principle features of social constructionism are analyzed. Constructionist critique of the classical concept of the subject is analyzed and the principle alternative concepts of Self proposed by social constructionists are researched. The constructionist ideas of the social bias of the subject of scientific knowledge and of the impossibility to have knowledge about reality behind the social constructions are analyzed. The conclusion is drawn that the subject cannot be deleted from any research of cognition and that the renouncement of the concepts of the Self, reality, truth and objectivity that is proposed by social constructionists is unproductive.