ABSTRACT
The definition of the object and method of the sociology of science, its academic institutionalization, its spread and popularization, can be almost entirely attributed to Merton. Moreover, it is also in Merton’s work that all the successes and failures of the discipline can be found in nuce. In broadest outline, Merton writes: “the subject matter of the sociology of science is the dynamic interdependence between science, as an ongoing activity giving rise to cultural and civilizational prod ucts, and the environing social structure. The reciprocal relations be tween science and society are the object of inquiry . . . But until re cently, the reciprocity of these relations has received uneven attention, the impact of science upon society eliciting notice, and the impact of society upon science, little” (Merton 1968: 585).
