科学知识的不同建构理论——兼议异质建构论与实践建构论的比较

Different Construction of Scientific Knowledge——The Comparison of Heterogeneous Constructivism and Practical Constructivism

20世纪70年代以来,关于科学知识的建构主义观点历经了社会建构论、异质建构论到实践建构论的转变。社会建构论将科学知识视为单一社会建构的产物;异质建构论则将自然等物质因素与社会因素相等同,认为它们对于科学知识的建构而言同等重要;而实践建构论以异质建构论为基础,更强调科学知识形成过程中的历史维度,并对实在论、不可通约性等传统科学哲学问题给出了新的阐释。对不同建构理论进行评析,尤其是对异质建构论与实践建构论进行比较,有利于明晰建构论的发展脉络,加深对科学的理解和认识。

Since the 1970s, the constructivism of scientific knowledge has undergone the change from social constructivism, heterogeneous constructivism to practical constructivism. According to the so- cial constructivism, scientific knowledge is merely regarded as the product of social construction. In contrast, heterogeneous constructivism views natural factors as no less important than social factors in that both play an equally important role in the construction of scientific knowledge. Based on heteroge- neous constructivism, practical constructivism lays more stress on historical dimension in the construc- tion of scientific knowledge and provides new explanations for traditional problems of scientific philoso- phy, such as realism and incommensurability. An analysis of the three views, particularly a comparison between heterogeneous constructivism and practical constructivism, contributes to the clarification of the development venation of constructivism, and deepens our understanding of science.