AFFECTS AS AN OBJECT OF RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCES: A COMPARISON BETWEEN POSITIVE AND CRITICAL THEORETICAL METHODS

Abstract

This article examines the relevance of affects as an object of research in social sciences, contrasting positivist and Critical Theory approaches. Through a bibliographic review of authors such as Comte, Durkheim, Adorno, and Horkheimer, it demonstrates that positivism reduced affects to an instrumental role, subordinated to scientific rationality, while Critical Theory integrated them as a central dimension for social critique and emancipation. The analysis reveals that affects not only shape social cohesion but are also key to understanding historical transformations and power structures. The study concludes that incorporating affects into social sciences requires methodologies that combine analytical rigor with sensitivity to subjectivity, overcoming the limitations of positivist reductionism.