ETHOS OF SCIENCE

Ethos of Science



Ethos of Science

Introduction

R. Merton or Robert Merton is considered as one of the founding fathers of sociology of science. Merton's special interest is in the mores of science, moral regulations that collectively form the scientific 'etos', constraining the conscience and conduct of scientists (Deakin, Study Guide, 1997, p.27). Merton suggests that science is a rationalised activity that is governed by various attributes associated within the various degrees of stages between -modern-post-modern levels. He believed that the field of science is based upon a set of cultural values and is an extension of knowledge gained from all aspects of our environment, being put as a scientific formula on how the world exists and how it is possible. Merton also thought that science, as a field of study was that of a whole body made into one, which incorporated some unique variables. One such variable in which he thought was the idea that science often called upon the influential experience of other fields such as psychology, in which science coherently existed with. He also disagreed against the individual approach to the science field that others thought was the only way for science to develop and exist. Merton saw the, need for science to be universalised that is that he saw the need for underlying logic and function for science in that all science should be open to talents ensuring equality of opportunity as so not to contradict the goal of science. He believed that science was there to benefit the whole without the discriminating factors such as religion and race therefore it was paramount to maintain a universalistic standard. And as such the term Communism arose 'Communism,' "in the nontechnical and extended sense of common owner-ship of goods, is a second integral element of the scientific ethos. The substantive findings of science are product of social collaboration and are assigned to the community". (Merton, 1973, pg. 273). Therefore Merton believes that in order to control the scientific accreditation and prospective scientific knowledge, that all scientists should be of one body willing to share their discoveries with the people whom would then be able to have some influence on how these innovative ideas could be put into practice an example would be solar energy, how could it be harnessed? And how could it be beneficial for the people?

This paper explain what Merton means by “the ethos of science” and outlines the major strengths and weaknesses of his approach for understanding the nature of science in the twenty-first century.

Discussion

The social sciences compete for attention even more than for resources. More than half a billion people are familiar with Carl Sagan's Cosmos, but how effective have social scientists been in explaining their ideas to the public? What Sagan and others have achieved is a bond between the ambitions of the natural sciences and the desires of the popular imagination. Such an affective bond is possible because between where you sit and where Pluto orbits, the personal does not become political and the political does not become ...