ABSTRACT
Scientists have been complaining for thousands of years about the little appreciation given by the mass of humankind to the knowledge they are pursuing; and sociological observers of social life agree as to how justified these complaints are. Two kinds of knowledge are to be found in a community: specialized knowledge which particular individuals need in their occupational roles and common knowledge which all adult individuals need as members of the community. Every practical application of technical knowledge made by a person who is acting an occupational role occurs in a concrete situation in which many diverse objects and processes are involved. Between theoretic knowledge of technologists, which is organized with reference to practical problems, and the theoretic knowledge of scholars and (later) of scientific explorers, which is logically organized without regard to its practical applications, a mutual influence has grown up.
