232k views
5 votes
What are the four epistemic norms proposed by Mertonian Structural Functionalism to guide scientific inquiry?

User WaeCo
by
7.9k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The four epistemic norms from Mertonian Structural Functionalism are universalism, communality, disinterestedness, and organized skepticism, which help ensure that scientific inquiry remains ethical and objective.

Step-by-step explanation:

The four epistemic norms proposed by Mertonian Structural Functionalism to guide scientific inquiry are universalism, communality, disinterestedness, and organized skepticism. These norms represent the ethical and procedural standards by which the scientific community regulates itself. Universalism holds that scientific claims should be judged solely by the merit of the work and not by the person who made them.

Communality involves sharing findings with the community, implying that scientific knowledge should be common and not proprietary. Disinterestedness requires scientists to act for the benefit of the common scientific enterprise, rather than for personal gain.

User Punchlinern
by
8.0k points