The sector of social and cognitive problems of science
Vavilov Institute for the History of Science and Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The Sector of Social and Cognitive Problems of Science was formed in 2020 by merging the Center for Sociological and Scientific Research, which existed in the St. Petersburg Branch of the IIET RAS since 1995, and the Sector of the History of Technical Sciences and Engineering, which has been leading its history since 1988 (organized by B.I. Kozlov). There are currently eight employees in the sector, including two Doctors of science. Since its foundation, the head of the sector has been Doctor of Philology L.Ya. Zhmud, a well–known specialist in the history of ancient science. The main research areas of the sector's staff include the general history of science – from antiquity through Renaissance and early Modern science to Russian and Soviet science, – historiography of science, sociology of science, cultural history of technology, history of the language of science. The tasks of the sector also include the study of theoretical problems of science studies: issues of the normative structure of science, forms of institutionalization of science, optimal ways of organizing science, scientific communication and scientific policy. The methodological approaches of research by employees of the sector are based on the theory of social and cognitive institutionalization of science. Cognitive institutionalization refers to the formation of common views among scientists on the goals and methods of research. Cognitive institutionalization sets the degree of mutual understanding among scientists, forms criteria for the relevance of problems and the acceptability of their solutions, forms a single object of study and competing ways of explaining it. The social institutionalization that goes along with it is understood as the formation of a system of certain rules and norms governing the behavior of scientists, and the emergence on this basis of stable forms of behavior embodying cultural values and passing from one civilization and historical epoch to another, i.e. science as a social institution. According to a widely accepted theoretical model, social institutionalization consists of two levels or elements: normative and regulatory. The sector focuses on issues of interaction between social and cognitive institutionalization, and the social conditionality of knowledge. In this regard, the sector studies theoretical strategies for social research of science: the Marxist understanding of science (in historical perspective), the methodology of the institutional approach (R. Merton), the sociology of scientific cognition, research is conducted in the field of qualitative and quantitative sociology of science. In 2020-2021, the sector carried out work on the topic "The social role of the scientist and its historical transformations", and since 2022 it has been working on the topic "Cognitive and social institutionalization of science: historical aspects". The objectives of these studies include explication of the social conditionality of scientific activity in a historical perspective using illustrative examples from little-explored areas of the history of science and technology, highlighting the process of the emergence and transformation of the social role of a scientist, studying individual significant stages of the institutionalization of science in its two most important interrelated aspects, cognitive and social. The works of the staff cover all key epochs of the history of science: antiquity, Renaissance, earlier Modern Times, XIX and XX centuries. L. Ya. Zhmud in the broad context of ancient culture explores the history of exact sciences, early Greek science, the relationship of science, religion and philosophy, the origin of the history of science in antiquity. Since 2021, the main focus of his antiquarian studies has been a generalizing work on the history and sociology of ancient science. In addition to leading the sector, L.Ya. Zhmud conducts a seminar on foreign historiography of science. The sector's research also includes the study of Renaissance and early Modern science, which is conducted by M.L. Sergeev. Special attention is paid to the work of the Swiss scientist-encyclopedist of the XVI century. Konrad Gesner, the work is underway to write the first monograph about this author in Russian. K. Gesner's work is considered in the context of book culture of the XVI century: communicative networks and communication methods and communication centers are studied. M.L. Sergeev directs the work of an interdisciplinary seminar on scientific Latin. Work is underway on a commented translation of the work of the zoologist of the late XIX – early XX century L.G. Boyanus "De uro nostrate eiusque sceleto commentatio". A significant place in the work of the sector is occupied by the study of the history of natural science of Modern times. I.S. Dmitriev studies the work of G. Galileo, F. Bacon and R. Descartes. I.S. Dmitriev develops issues related to the cognitive and social history of the scientific revolution of early Modern times, paying special attention to the role of N. Copernicus in initiating this intellectual revolution. Much attention is also paid to the social history of science and the biographies of famous scientists – A. Lavoisier and D.I. Mendeleev. The history of science and technology in Russia of the XIX century occupies a special place in the work of the sector staff. A. A. Fedotova is engaged in the history of applied botany, explores the history of locust control in the Russian Empire in the second half of the XIX century, publishes works on the history of the protection of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. E.Y. Zharova devotes her research to the history of university science in the XIX century, paying special attention to special attention is paid to the natural science departments of universities. E.Y. Zharova introduced into scientific circulation many new sources on the history of universities in pre-revolutionary Russia. V.A. Kupriyanov is engaged in the history of social sciences at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in the XIX century, in particular, the biography of V.I. Lamansky. I.S. Dmitriev is the largest specialist in the work of D.I. Mendeleev. N.V. Nikiforova explores the scientific work of B.S. Jacobi, a major physicist and inventor of the XIX century. The sector is working with the archive of B.S. Jacobi, aimed at filling gaps in his biography and recreating a holistic picture of the history of electrical engineering in Russia in the XIX century. N.V. Nikiforova publishes new archival sources devoted to the history of technology. This work continues the research started in the Sector of the History of Technical Sciences and Engineering under the leadership of B.I. Ivanov and conducted earlier by B.B. Dyakov. The sector has set the task of a comprehensive and complete study of the biography of B.S. Jacobi, and work is underway to publish his diaries. An essential thematic area of the sector's work is the study of the historiography of the history of natural science. A.M. Skvortsov studies the history of IINiT and IIET, studies the history of medieval studies at IINiT, paying attention to the collective projects that the Institute's staff were engaged in (for example, the history of writing the "Universal History of Technology"). L.Ya. Zhmud studies the history of antiquarian studies at IINiT, conducts comparative studies of Russian and foreign historiographies of the history of natural science and technology. V.A. Kupriyanov is engaged in the study of methodological and general philosophical principles in the historiography of the first half of the XX century. V.A. Kupriyanov pays special attention to the critical study of the Marxist historiography of natural science and technology. The Sector of Social and Cognitive Problems of Science is the successor of the Center for Sociological and Scientific Research, which was preceded by the sector of social Problems of science, created in 1968 on the initiative of S.A. Kugel. The Center was engaged in field socio-scientific research and performed applied consulting work in the field of scientific and technical policy. This work continues in the Sector of social and cognitive problems of science by V.A. Kupriyanov. The scientific policy in Russia and industrially developed countries is being investigated, scientific communication networks are being analyzed and proposals for the optimal organization of scientific research are being developed. An important place is occupied by the study of science in Russian regions in the context of their socio-economic development. Research in the field of philosophy of science and the history of philosophy in connection with the history of science plays a significant role. The sector of social and Cognitive Problems of Science is the only division of the St. Petersburg Branch in which philosophical research is conducted. The sector has many international scientific contacts. Employees of the sector are fellows of many foreign scientific foundations and have completed professional internships in Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Turkey, France, Poland and Finland, they regularly participate in scientific conferences abroad: at conferences of the European Society for the History of Science, the World Union of History and Philosophy of Science, the International Sociological Association. Contacts with Russian colleagues are being strengthened, the sector's employees are members of trade unions and organizations (the St. Petersburg Society of Sociologists, the Russian Philosophical Society, the Russian National Committee for the History and Philosophy of Science, the Russian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science, the Russian Society of Intellectual History, etc.), maintain contacts with the St. Petersburg Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Employees of the sector are members of the editorial boards of Russian and foreign scientific publications.
