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David Bloor
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Birth
David Bloor was born in Derby, England on June 24, 1942. Bloor will become widely known for his work in Sociology and Scientific Knowledge. -
Education
Bloor began his education at the University of Keele at which he worked towards his bachelor’s degree. His primary focus was Mathematics and Philosophy. -
Trinity College, Cambridge
Bloor Transfers to the Trinity College in Cambridge in 1964 to continue his education. It is here that Bloor studies Philosophy and Psychology and graduates with his bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Bloor continues his education at the Trinity College ultimately graduating with his master’s degree in 1966. -
University of Edinburgh
Bloor started his career in 1967 at the University of Edinburgh. Bloor wrote his thesis “Speech and Regulation of Behavior” at which he was granted his Ph. D in 1971. Bloor would go on and continue to work in the fields of sociology of science. In 1992, Bloor becomes the director of Science Studies in and left the occupation in 2003. He remains a professor at the University of Edinburgh in Science Studies. -
Knowledge and Social Imagery
David Bloor’s first published book was Knowledge and Social Imagery in 1976. Bloor introduces the ideals on a “strong program” in regard to sociological knowledge. A collaboration with his colleagues on the subject of Science Studies and Technologies to which scientific rationality could be refuted by empirical accounts (Fuller, 1993). The view received inimical criticism. -
Wittgenstein
Bloor published his thoughts on the later theories of Ludwig Wittgenstein in 1983. The book is called Wittgenstein: A Social Theory of Knowledge. Bloor breaks down Wittgenstein’s theories together with his ideas and thoughts on social knowledge. Bloor conveys that Wittgenstein set out “to destroy this distinction between reasoning and social process” (Li, 2010). -
Scientific Theories- The Strong Programme
The Strong Programme (1983) A method developed by David Bloor and a few likeminded individuals in charge of the Science Studies and Technologies program at Edinburgh University. Their aim was to understand the composition and essence of scientific knowledge from a sociological standpoint. (Dickson, 1997) -
9. John Desmond Bernal Prize
David Bloor received the John Desmond Bernal Prize by the Society of Studies of Science for his 1996 contributions to Science and Technology Studies. -
8. Barry Barnes, John Henry- A Scientific Knowledge
David Bloor, Barry Barnes, and John Henry, publish A Scientific Knowledge: A Sociological Analysis in 1996 deeming sociology of scientific knowledge as a part of science and discusses rationalist philosophy introducing the “symmetry principal” (Dickson, 1997). Bloor describes sociology of scientific knowledge as an empirical discipline and argues idealism (Bloor, 1996). -
10. Aerodynamics-The Enigma of Aerofoil
Bloor Publishes a book on Aerodynamics, The Enigma of Aerofoil: Rival Theories in Aerodynamics, discussing in great detail the history as well as the disagreements between German and British Scientists from 1906-1926. Bloor aimed to discuss the sociological reasoning behind such predicaments (Li, 2010). -
11. Present-Day
David Bloor is currently still living. He is a British Sociologist as well as a current professor at the University of Edinburgh. He is famous for his participation in “the strong programme”, his influences brought forth by his published works, and his contributions to sociological and scientific knowledge.