Abstract

Social constructionist theory has been criticized as being relativistic. This article addresses this criticism and draws out conclusions for the theory and for psychotherapy. It is suggested that a nonrelativistic basis for the self is its moral constitution and that people need to trust, make promises, and follow through on obligations in order to be in the society that is constructing them. These moral and ethical constituents of the socially constructed self are historically necessary without being universal. One important praxis affected by this conclusion is psychotherapy which, because its articulation of the constituents of self also constitutes them, becomes a moral and political praxis. 2012 APA, all rights reserved)