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Birth
Born in 1942 in Derby, United Kingdom -
The Strong Programme
In the late 1970s early 1980s, David Bloor and colleague Barry Barnes formed the Strong Programme as a way to eliminate the belief that the scientist is a detached observer. This program was guided by four components:
1. Casualty - examines the conditions that bring about claims
2. Impartiality - examines the knowledge of the claims
3. Symmetry - types of explanations
4. Reflexivity - must be applicable to sociology
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039368105000804. -
Wittgenstein: A Social Theory of Knowledge
In 1983, "Wittgenstein: A Social Theory of Knowledge" is published. Bloor explains Wittgenstein's ideas on society and the individual - his work leans on the notion that humans are highly social creatures and society should take precedence over the individual, noting individuality is a natural phenomenon Reference Bloor, D. (1983). Wittgenstein: A Social Theory of Knowledge. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-17273-3 -
Anti-Latour
French Scholar, Bruno Latour developed the actor-network theory partially based on Bloor's Strong Programme. Bloor, however, disagreed when Latour argued that relationships between humans and non-humans are equivalent. Bloor wrote his article "Anti-Latour" to defend the approach of the sociology of knowledge. Reference Bloor, D. “Anti-Latour”. Science Direct, Mar. 1999, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039368198000387. -
Science Studies Unit 50th Year Anniversary Celebration
David Bloor and Barry Barnes commemorate 50 years of the Science Studies Unit at the University of Edinburgh. https://youtu.be/wP7w7Un4zaE