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Science is a social phenomenon

For a deeper understanding of the place and role of science in the modern world, to identify its actual and potential opportunities it is useful to define the concept of science, its essence. However, here lurks a number of difficulties. The fact, in modern naukovedenie there is no generally accepted and sufficiently accurate definition of science, John Bernal, for example, even believes such a definition is impossible and even meaningless. Due to the fact, what, first, in the changing historical periods, in different cultural traditions, the status of the science was ascribed to not only the various, but opposite types of knowledge and cognitive activity; secondly, there is a great variety of knowledge systems which are assigned the name of one or another science, and which, at first glance, little similarities; thirdly, there are a variety of original methodological positions when the definition of science. To overcome difficulties it is necessary to observe the prerequisites of the definition of science: to consider science as a functioning and system’object, what develops, to define science as applied to the most developed and complex forms, to highlight the system of distinctive features of science.

 Multidimensional, the systemic nature of science is revealed in the description, which gives John Bernal: science should be considered, first, as an institution, that is the organization of people, performing certain tasks in society; secondly, as a method, the sum total of ways of opening new parties and patterns of nature and society; thirdly, the accumulation of scientific traditions; fourthly, an important factor of production development; on-n’s fifth, the source of new ideas, principles worldview. The system of distinctive features of science are, first, the immediate goal of science: description, explanation, prediction of processes and phenomena of reality, are the subject of its study, on the basis of laws, presented by, that is, theoretical reflection of reality; secondly, the pursuit of a new, true knowledge; thirdly, scientific knowledge has a systemic character and principle is all about’object; fourthly, o’objects of science are not reducible to the real’objects, they have a perfect character; on-n’s fifth, science has its own language and funds of knowledge, therefore, research work involves specialized training in the sub’object, that knows. So, science is both complex, operating system knowledge, forming a scientific picture of the world and form of activity, focused on the production and theoretical systematization of new’exception knowledge of reality.

The main interest of sociology of science focuses on understanding, the revelation of the peculiarities of science as the forms and spheres of human activity. Here science’is as a specific production, qualitatively different from all other kinds of social production, first, the purpose. If the aim of material production is the creation of wealth, and art as forms of cultural production artistic values, the scientific activity focused on the production of new’exception knowledge of the world and man. Goals of science are largely the nature of probability. Scientific work stands out from other spheres of social production by a considerable uncertainty regarding predictions of scientific results, production time ( including favorable or unfavorable outcome of scientific activity).

Secondly, their products, the results of scientific activities, evidence. If the same products are material production created thousands or millions, the products of scientific activity unique. Creation in the field of scientific studies of identical units knowledge devoid of values. The defining criterion for the effectiveness of science the novelty of knowledge. The effectiveness is not, what the production spent little money, but, as far as new information about reality are knowledge. Unlike the products of material production acquired knowledge (if they are true) don't become useless, and, on the contrary, subject to further approval, improvement and development.

Thirdly, their means of production. Scientific knowledge as a form of cultural production differs from other forms by way of reflection of reality. Scientific exploration of the world begins, when consciousness reveals the essential aspects of reality, reflecting them in corresponding theoretical (the concept, category, laws, theory, hypothesis) and historical form. Science is the highest form of knowing the world and thanks to its features is able to serve people in all its spheres. Unique and tools of scientific activity - the tools of thinking, who knows (analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, abstraction, etc.) , and tools of scientific experimentation, that is, material science technology.

Kind and system of organization of scientific activity. It largely depends on the structure of scientific research, from a logical demarcation for information processes. Specific and sub’the object of scientific activity, not only because, what must be specially prepared, but in the combination of the individual and the collective. Century scientists-singles past. They were replaced by large research teams. In modern conditions for rozw’s'asana of certain scientific problems increasingly’unite the efforts of scientists of different specialties. But the collective nature of labor in modern science does not diminish the role of individuality scientist. The benefits of team undisputed, when you need to develop or implement a certain idea, but the idea is the product of individual creativity, that is, for a successful scientific career must be an optimum combination of collective and individual started in the production of knowledge.

Scientific activity has an internal logic of development. So science, especially in the field of fundamental research, can come to make new discoveries and achievements, hard to explain needs of this stage of social development. Such superior results have been reproduced several times of course, before finding practical application. The relative autonomy of science (as a whole, and individual areas) can lead to lag sometimes for quite a long time, the needs of production and social practice. Having an internal logic of development, science performs samorazvitie and self-regulating system with its inherent laws of the formation, operation and development. 

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