From a Sociology of Knowledge to a Praxiology of Knowledge

Abstract

This paper tries to demonstrate that relativism, scepticism, and anti-realism that theSociology of (Scientific) Knowledge inevitably assumes are logically difficult and not useful for empirical investigations. First, by way of Reductio ad absurdum, the Reflexive Programme is examined. Next, a relativist-sceptist orientation is grasped in the empirical studies of Sociology of Scientific Knowledge. This orientation is criticized from the standpoint of ethnomethodologi-cal studies of scientific work. A Praxiology of knowledge is proposed.