The outstanding problem for Habermas, then, was to elucidate an
epistemological framework in terms of which the theories of a critical
social science can be shown to be ‘better’ or more ‘correct’
interpretations that the ideologically infected interpretations they seek
to replace. In short, the task was one of providing standards of
rationality in terms of which a critical social science can justify its
own procedures. Habermas’s response was to turn to an analysis of
language. In particular, he argued that the normative foundations
which justify critical social science as a viable and rational enterprise
can be derived from an analysis of ordinary speech and discourse