Toward a systemic-communicative philosophy of science: from Max Weber to Niklas Luhmann

The article conceptualizes the concepts of truth and knowledge in social epistemology and systemic-communicative theory. The possibilities of the philosophical understanding of scientific cognition are considered in comparison with research perspectives of science studies, sociology and psychology. It is substantiated that it is the philosophical conceptualization of science that permits interpreting science as a complex phenomenon requiring the resources of a higher socio-philosophical theory. The connection and difference between scientific cognition and descriptions and observations carried out in other social systems - politics, religion, art, mass media - are considered. The solution of the problem of demarcation of science and value judgments in Max Weber’s understanding sociology is presented, as well as the concretization and formalization of Weber’s principle of freedom from value judgments in Robert K. Merton’s ethics of science. Further, a critique of Merton’s ethics of science is reconstructed in the Strong Programme of David Bloor, who engages causal social-epistemological analysis of not only false but also true beliefs and judgments. Finally, a reconstruction of Niklas Luhmann’s systemic-communicative philosophy of science is presented. Scientific truth is understood in this theoretical context as a symbolic generalized means of scientific communication that provides in itself an incredible consensus in scientific work. The study by was conducted under the state assignment to Lomonosov Moscow State University. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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