Science as a social institution and a system of values

Without society and its members, many components of modern life, including science, do not make sense. Only in the society of scientists is created a system of values, norms and traditions, the history of which has been more than 2000 years. Science as a social institution is the embodiment of the most diverse interrelationships that arise between members of the scientific community and other people. They have undergone various changes during different periods, since the society's relationship to science has always been changeable.

And science itself as a social institution is subject to changes that depend on the conditions of its existence. Let us take the number of scientists. If in the ancient Greek philosophical schools they could be listed by name, today this army consists of more than five million professionally organized international community. Today, science as a social phenomenon is a powerful sphere of knowledge production, capable of producing a revolution in the minds. It has a powerful material base and a developed specialized infrastructure and communication channels.

Science as a social institution sees its purpose and purpose in the production of knowledge and their dissemination in society. To do this, scientists develop research tools, come up with new techniques and join their ranks with new people interested in their social mission.

Modern science as a sphere of culture is a sphere of joint activity of creative associations within which not only highly skilled specialists work in some separate specialized fields of scientific activity but also people whose activities are aimed at self-realization and performing their functions with the highest degree of dedication. Routine work in this area adjoins creative endeavors. From a scientist, life constantly requires confirmation of his qualifications, subject to various tests the level of his professionalism. And society and the state, to which science as a social institution is highly valued, stimulates its activity, increases the remuneration of labor of members of the scientific community, awards them various titles, awards and degrees.

Science as a social phenomenon originated in Western Europe, together with the industrial revolution, which became the reason for the emergence of capitalist relations. The division of labor made it possible not only to increase the economy, but also to separate practice from theory. And scientific organizations began to unite in a separate sphere, serving the needs of improving public welfare. And in this great role played by education as a method of familiarizing the younger generation with scientific achievements.

Science as a sphere of culture is its most important element, different from other types of activity in that its result is not predetermined in advance. Knowledge is extracted, not supplied in finished form, as, for example, it occurs in art. However, one can not oppose the remaining elements of culture to science, because objective knowledge, as well as the phenomena of art, is inherent in logic, generalization of the processes that take place.

The signs of science as a social institution in today's world are subject to even greater institutionalization. They permeate production, the political sphere, closely interact with the administrative activities of man. Ahead of the development of the economy and technical sectors, the scientific sphere has long turned into a leading industry, often predetermining and predicting the course of events. Before it there is a big problem of humanization, which should turn scientific discoveries towards humanity.