Scientific Knowledge: A Sociological Analysis

by Barry Barnes, David Bloor, John Henry

A systematic account of the importance of sociology for the understanding of scientific knowledge. Applying sociological analysis to specific historical case studies, the work attempts to show how the sociological approach is an essential complement to interpretations of scientific knowledge from other disciplines, and a necessary contribution to obtaining a scientific understanding of science. This book should be of interest to students in the social sciences and the history and philosophy of science, and to academics interested in knowledge, epistemology, the history of ideas and the "new" sociology of science.

Genres: Sociology, Science, Philosophy, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

S. Barry Barnes was Professor of Sociology at the University of Exeter. He is known for his pioneering work on the sociological study of knowledge generation and evaluation in science, and on the credibility of scientific expertise.

Reviews

[Sharad Pandian · Rating 5 out of 5]

An introductory textbook to the Sociology of Science, it is simultaneously the most patient book I've read, with hand-holding in every paragraph, and the most exasperated, since the authors realize they will almost certainly be misunderstood despite all the hand-holding.

[Alexandre Guay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une défense sérieuse du relativisme épistémologique. À lire ne serait-ce que pour leur répondre.