Robert Merton's Theory Of Science

Introduction

This paper will give a brief history as to the rise of science as a discipline as described by Robert Merton. The paper will give an explanation and sociological overview of Robert Merton’s sociology and his concepts of the ethos of Science. The paper assess the strengths and weaknesses of his ‘CUDOS’ definition of scientific ethos by drawing upon evidence of contemporary scientific practises, institutions, organisations and funding. The essay will also consider the extent to which his ‘CUDOS’ formulation of the scientific ethos can be considered to withstand both (a) the subsequent changes in the structure and organisation of science, and (b) the criticisms and findings of subsequent social studies of science. In so doing the

It is clear that Merton’s attention is more focussed on the values governing scientific activities, and this he calls ‘cultural structure of science’ rather than the institutions themselves. This he states is a ‘limited introduction to a larger problem’ mainly the ‘study of institutional structure of science’ (Merton, 1942). However, not only had Merton argued that the social scientist changed but the roots and sociological landscape of science changed during World War II and moved from society to the study of organisations and institutions, and out of the ashes rose the new discipline, sociology of science and a new set of imperatives, (Mendelson, 1989:

Scientists worked for the good of humanity and their rewards are esteem and reputation not economic benefits through patens on scientific breakthroughs. Merton talks about the commercialization of science, and that this battle between reputation and the division of labour is a trade-off between diversity, commercialization and specialization, and that scientists in to-days society are pressed to promote commercialisation for companies, (Merton, 1942). For example, the anti-depressant Prozac, the wonder drug of modern medicine first hit the shelves in America in 1988 and while the company Eli Lilly made billions the research team got a few awards. Strength: However if this scientific research team worked from a communism frame work then the drug would have been shared with the public free. ‘The utilitarian findings of science are a product of social complexities shared with the wider community. They constitute a set of societal traditions in which the impartiality of the individual producer is severally limited and property rights in science are held down to the bare minimum by the rationale of the scientific ethic’ (Merton, 1942). Weakness: However experience has shown that this theory is unrealistic in an every day working capitalist society as funding is paramount inorder for sceintific research to progress