THEORIES OF SCIENCE AND COLLINS’ THEORY OF SCIENCE

YAKUP KALIN

ABSTRACT

In the twentieth century, three different approaches are developed in ongoing
philosophical debates regarding the nature of science. As connected to the schools of
Positivism, Relativism and Marxism these approaches have contributed to the formation
of sociology of science traditions which investigate social dimensions of science. In
this study, Collins’ theory of sociology of science and its foundational concepts will be
investigated among the approaches of other traditions which have different perspectives.
In addition, the positive and negative aspects of this Conflict theory of sociology of
science, in which the theory is presented as an applicable framework for the debates
about the nature of science, will be presented in comparison with alternative approaches.