Science of Science and Reflexivity: Thematic Lectures at the Collège de France (2000-2001 Academic Year)

Author: Pierre Bourdieu (France)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2006-04-01
Features: This is the teaching record of Bourdieu's final year at the Collège de France, summarizing his life's research and writing insights. It provides an objective and detailed exposition of the sociological turn in 20th-century Western philosophy, highlighting his own arguments and contributing to the healthy development of the "scientific field," including natural sciences. The author believes that researchers who live only in books or within academic laboratories cannot, like him, strive for the highest goal of their research activities based on "objectivity" grounded in historical depth and extensive social practice. It is not enough to objectify the research subject; the research subject itself must also be objectified—this is what he emphasizes as "reflexivity." He takes science itself as the object of study, exploring the operation of scientific activities within complex social structures and enabling science to reflect upon itself, thereby elevating this research to sociological and philosophical heights.