ABSTRACT:
This paper presents an introductory view of David Bloor’s sociology of knowledge, pointing out that the debate (sociological or not) on the nature of science has not ended yet and that, in this view, sociology has a feature typical of the science, that is, there are no final questions and answers. According to the four principles of what Bloor calls “strong program” of the sociology of science it must be causal, impartial, symmetric and reflexive. In addition to these principles, Bloor’s positions regarding concepts such as empirism, truth, and reality, experience and belief, and regarding epistemologies such as those of Popper, Kuhn, Durkheim and Latour are approached. Some implications of this view for scientific education are also discussed.
Keywords:
Sociology of knowledge; Strong program; Nature of science