A Critical Analysis of the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge: Problems of Knowledge-Legitimation (Strong Programme, Rational Reconstruction, Relativism, Symmetry Thesis)

Recent debates in the sociology of scientific knowledge (SSK) literature center on (i) the alleged distinction between the (sociological) context of inquiry and the (epistemological) context of justification, (ii) the relativist--rationalist controversy regarding questions of cognitive warrant, (iii) the tenets of the strong programme, particularly the symmetry and impartiality theses, and (iv) whether a consistent sociological and relativist reconstruction of scientific knowledge, which rejects any reference to universally binding, non-contingent cognitive criteria, is in principle possible. Issues (i)-(iv) are examined at length in this dissertation, particularly with reference to the strong programme of Barnes and Bloor, the empirical programme of relativism of Collins, and the ethnographic case studies of Knorr-Cetina, Latour and Woolgar, and Lynch. Recent criticisms of these authors are also examined at length.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Tibbetts, Paul Edison, Jr.

• Sociology, Theory and Methods

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8610987

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/71012