Abstract:

Communication sciences proceeding as a distinctive discipline within the scope of social sciences was not able to establish a proper relationship with philosophy. However, this problem stems from the epistemological difficulty of defining “phenomenon” in social sciences. “Audience research”, “discourse analysis” and “critical approach” traditions corresponding to “positivist”, “conventionalist” and “realist” epistemologies in social sciences, express various perspectives in the relation between communication sciences and philosophy. Our article renders the idea that the inheritance of mass communication theory presents communication scientists with “complicated perspectives” on communication practices. Within this variety, it is asserted that communication sciences aspiring to position itself as a distinctive discipline is supposed to adopt a perspective making it establish a closer relationship with philosophy. Based on the fact that social sciences are not a science of “social facts” but of “social phenomenon”, it is asserted that communication sciences, being a scope of the phenomenon should always be in a close relationship with philosophy, being a scope of tenets. In this context, “realist epistemology” and “critical approach” are suggested.   

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