This chapter attempts to show how various schools of thought, extending from scientific realists like Newton to proponents of Symbolism and Nihilism, attempt to comprehend social reality. The author describes how one proves more capable than the other in trying to explain what reality really is and how we should understand it. There is an investigation of how reality can differ from person to person, hence showing that the term social reality may not really be applicable at all. Where exactly do progress and optimism fit into this social reality picture? Is there adequate ‘cognitive justification’ for the stage of a Marxist utopia?
