Knowledge And Its Social Function-comparative Study On The Views Of Merton And Lyotard In Scientific And Technological Knowledge

Merton, as one of the most influential sociologists in the 20th century, had extensively researched a great deal of fields in sociology, such as science, knowledge, social problem and social policy, etc...The article analyzes the early thoughts of Merton: he regarded science as one kind of knowledge that forms on the basis of the social cultural values, economy and classes, etc...with the method of sociology of knowledge. The paper also analyzes his late view that science is the systems that shows the character of a unique ethos with the method of the sociology of science.Lyotard, as one of the postmodernism scholars, had systematically studied the knowledge issue in the postmodern society. The article analyzes his view of the knowledge; he thought in the postmodern condition knowledge turned up changes and it was variety, equality, commercialization and paralogy.The writer compares Merton's view with Lyotard's view about the meaning, character and social function of the knowledge, especially the scientific and technological knowledge, and then puts forward the opinion: the view of Merton is modernism and constructivism, the view of Lyotard is postmodernism and deconstructivism. After comparative research of the two epistemologies, connecting with the reality of the contemporary social development in Chinese the writer brings forward the idea: utilize the beneficial function of the scientific and technological knowledge, carry forward scientific spirit and establish the standpoint of the sustainable development in science and technology with the harmonious relationship with the humankind, nature and society.