From "Strong Program" To "Cultural Studies Of Science"

In the contemporary society, the role interpreted by scientific knowledge is becoming more and more important, scientific technology has been a great power for history development, giving momentous theoretic value and pressing realistic significance to the studies on and mastery of scientific knowledge. As one of the most outstanding representatives in the field of sociology of scientific knowledge in 20th century, Bloor has broken through the astriction of traditional ideas and the forbidden zone of sociological analyze on scientific knowledge itself and brought forward the core theory of "Strong Program". In this disquisition, the author casts back the headstream of the sociology of scientific knowledge, briefly presents the development history of the same school and the ideologies of its major representative figures, and emphatically analyses the theoretical connotation of "Strong Program" by Bloor with the focuses on his conception of knowledge, the "four tenets" of sociology of scientific knowledge and its relativistic characteristics. Rouse as a philosopher of science of a new generation emphasizes the integration of England-American scientific philosophy with European traditions, treats science as part of the practice, interprets the philosophic sense of scientific practice, reviews practice from the cultural point of view and research into issues of scientific practice while giving importance to the cultural studies of science, in an attempt to reconstruct the science. In the same disquisition, the author analyses Rouse's comprehension of Kuhnâ… and Kuhnâ…¡and the hermeneutic theory developed by Rouse based on practical hermeneutics, and particularly his theory of "Cultural Studies on Science" and the six subjects contained therein. Comparisons are made in this disquisition three respects as significance, angle of view and puzzledom of studies on scientific knowledge by Bloor and Rouse based upon respective analyses of their studying outcome of scientific knowledge. Great significance in exploration has been given in this disquisition to both Bloor and Rouse for they have brought into their own study scope the scientific knowledge in a whole and strongly revolted to the traditional western epistemology. Nevertheless, distinct differences coexist with the sameness in their studies with both bearing adverse problems and plights. After examining and criticizing the thoughts on scientific knowledge of Bloor and Rouse and bringing into contact with the practicalities of the contemporary society and of China, the author advances a perspective in this disquisition that human beings should look at issues of scientific value from a dialectic point of view, carry forward science spirit, oppose scientism, that scientific culture and human culture should communicate with and mutually benefit each other, and that the standpoint of sustainable development of science should be established with a human-based point of view and with harmonious unification between human and nature. An attempt has been made in this disquisition to explore the cause of the construction and study of a new knowledge view in the modern knowledge society with a viewpoint that the traditional nous dimensionality, Bloor's social dimensionality and Rouse's practical dimensionality might be integrated together.