The article argues that the rationality problematic, as an internal metatheoretical and methodological task of the social sciences, has to be considered with regard to the basic concept of reaching understanding. Only on the basis of the rational infrastructure of action oriented to reaching understanding – which includes the use of language as a mechanism for coordinating action and establishing a consensus based on the intersubjective recognition of validity claims – the social scientist can, by adopting a performative attitude of a virtual participant, interpret objectively the social processes under observation.