Psychologists can debate about values.
Gergen's first point was that the old-fashioned concern for getting facts straight led psychologists to refrain from participating in debates about what ought to be done. But since Gergen had already given up on the idea that there are policies that are more right than others, he suggests no way to resolve these debates beyond the relative power of the participants. As Miroslav Volf has pointed out, this approach encourages violence. Use theories to understand self. Gergen's second point is that psychological theories do not tell us about reality, but can be used to understand the intrapersonal dynamics of those who hold the theories.