printSociology of Epistemologies and Neuroscience
Shkurko Yu.S.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Assoc. Prof., Faculty of Humanities and Social Technologies, Ulyanovsk State University, Ulyanovsk, Russia yushkurko@yandex.ru
Shkurko Yu.S. Sociology of Epistemologies and Neuroscience . Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2018. No 12. P. 49-55
Many sociological relevant data have recently been obtained in neuroscience and the related disciplines. They create new empirical framework for sociological studies. Sociologists are faced with the task of responding to these challenges. Some attempts have already been done in new biosociological approach (primarily, evolutionary sociology and neurosociology) that aim at incorporation of biological variables (information on brain activity, genetic factors, etc.) into sociological conceptions. In addition, there are works performed in the tradition of social studies of science and technology (sociology of neuroscience), as well as critical analysis of the consequences of neuroscientific revolution for science and society (critical neuroscience). Intermediate approach between these directions was proposed by G.Abend; he named it the sociology of epistemologies. Analyzing the epistemological bases of the results of experimental studies of neural correlates of love, he reveals what, according to neuroscientists, we need to do for initiate love and their measure at neural level – demonstrate some image of beloved person at the discrete time period in contrast to the neutral one. The revealed epistemologies determine not only neuroscientific experimental works, but also human behavior beyond the scientific laboratories, affecting the social decision making, social norms and institutions, media, politics and others.
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