Philosophical Foundations of Anthropology of Science

In the field of science studies, explaining the philosophical approach to science, which was first started in the late nineteenth century and was led to raise positivism, Popper’s falsification, and Lakatos’s research programs in the twentieth century. In the second half of the twentieth century, Sociology of scientific knowledge proposed social explanations for science. In the latter approach, science is not simply a set of propositions but a social activity, such as society of physicists, chemists, etc. They saw the social characteristics have an important impact on the emergence of scientific theories. From 70s, a new trend in science studies emerged. In contrast to SSK which discriminates science from society, this new approach defines science as a form of life that should consequently be reflected on by anthropological methods. This reflection is neither philosophical nor social, but tried to provide a naturalistic descriptive approach. Such approach to science is based on certain philosophical assumptions. This article tries to both illustrate the anthropology of science approach as well as its philosophical constitutions based on Wittgenstein’s philosophical views.