A Reflexive Calling: Sociology and the Problem of Scientific Knowledge

As a result of the classical sociological analysis of the scientific method as a way of consolidating the epistemic roots of social sciences reasoning, sociology has created a unique capacity of comprehending science through the scientific method. In this paper, we discuss the rise of a reflexive “v...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The international journal of interdisciplinary cultural studies 2015-01, Vol.10 (3), p.13-25
Main Authors: Fetz, Marcelo, Ferreira, Leila C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Scientific knowledge
Social sciences
Social studies
Sociology
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:As a result of the classical sociological analysis of the scientific method as a way of consolidating the epistemic roots of social sciences reasoning, sociology has created a unique capacity of comprehending science through the scientific method. In this paper, we discuss the rise of a reflexive “vocation” of sociology, i.e., a special epistemic condition towards the understanding of contemporary science held by sociologists. Sociology has initially pointed out the knowledge problem as an internal issue, a challenge regarding the development of a scientific way of thinking about society. Contemporary sociology has pointed out the knowledge problem as a general challenge for science as a whole, replacing the logical demarcation by a new one based on social demarcation of knowledge. Social Studies of Science and Edinburgh’s Strong Programme have finally created a symmetrical sociology of the scientific knowledge, activating the classical reflexive condition of sociology towards scientific knowledge.
ISSN:2327-008X
2327-2554
DOI:10.18848/2327-008X/CGP/v10i03/53214