In his early writings, the late Joseph Ben-David put forward a model accounting for certain kinds of cases of the emergence of new disciplines. We argue that Ben-David's explanations fall squarely within the sociology of knowledge — and, in fact, have many points in common with explanations in the tradition of the `strong programme' in that discipline. Specifically, Ben-David's central theoretical concept — that of `role hybridization' — overlaps the notion of `multifunctionality' of theories. Ben-David's approach is superior to that of the `strong programme' in as much as, being hermeneutical and not causal, it avoids the dangers usually besetting the sociology of knowledge — notably relativism. In the second part of the paper we analyze the emergence of Ludwik Fleck's ideas and — using Ben-David's model — we relate them to the social context within which Fleck was working. We show that social conditions induced the outsider bacteriologist Fleck to adopt a strategy of role-hybridization. This strategy gave rise to `idea-hybridizations' which led to his original, multifunctional theory of scientific growth.
In response to a recent descriptive account of the state of science studies in France, this Comment — which is a participant observer's account, not a research paper — seeks to contribute towards a sociological explanation of the observed state of affairs. The absence of specifically social studies of science in France is an aspect of the traditional French construal of science studies as consisting of (positivist or philosophically-minded) history of science. The reason why new approaches have difficulty in getting established is sought mainly in the structure of French institutions: decision-making bearing on intellectual choices is concentrated in very few hands, and these decisions affect, and streamline, most institutions throughout the country. Moreover, the large and overarching decision-making bodies, whose members have divergent preferences and interests, are inherently prudent and shun risk-taking: their very social structure favours conservatism.
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