Differentiation and integration of sciences. Integration of modern science: definition, features and interesting facts

Over time, science, of course,undergoes qualitative changes. It increases the volume, branched out and becomes more complicated. Its actual history is rather chaotic and fractional. However, in a variety of discoveries, hypotheses, concepts, there is a certain ordering, the regularity of the formation and change of theories, the logic of the development of cognition.

Relevance of the issue

The identification of logic in the development of science is expressed inunderstanding the laws of progress in knowledge, the forces that drive them, their historical conditioning. At present, this problem is considered from a different angle than it was in the last century. Previously, it was believed that in science there is a constant increase in knowledge, the accumulation of new discoveries, the promotion of more accurate theories. All this in the end created a cumulative effect on various directions of studying phenomena. Today the logic of the formation of science is presented in a different light. At the present time, the idea is dominant that it develops not only through the continuous accumulation of ideas and facts, but also with the help of fundamental theoretical shifts. Thanks to them at a certain point, scientists begin to redraw the familiar picture of the world and rebuild their activities on the basis of fundamentally different worldviews. The logic of unhurried evolution has been replaced by the trend of catastrophe and scientific revolutions.

The differentiation of science

This phenomenon involves the separation of a singlesystem into its individual parts. In the scientific sphere cognition is used as a science. When it is divided into elements, new spheres, regions, objects of research and industry arise. Differentiation contributed to the transformation of science into a complex, ramified system that includes many disciplines.

Prerequisites

Today in science there are at least 15 thousanddifferent disciplines. The complexity of the structure of knowledge is due to several reasons. First of all, the basis of modern science is the analytical approach to real phenomena. In other words, as a basic technique, partitioning the event into simplest elements. This methodological approach directed researchers to detail the reality. Secondly, during the last three centuries the number of objects that have become accessible for study has sharply increased. The existence of geniuses, capable of embracing the diversity of knowledge, has now become physically impossible - a person can study only a small fraction of what is generally known to people. The formation of individual disciplines took place by delimiting the object of study of each of them from other elements of the other directions. As a core, objective laws of reality act here.

Efficiency

Specialization of industries is inevitable and useful. Differentiation allows you to explore more deeply the individual aspects of reality. It greatly facilitates the work of scientists, directly affects the structure of the entire scientific community. Specialization goes today. For example, genetics is considered a relatively young discipline. Meanwhile, today there are many of its branches - evolutionary, molecular, population. There is also a "fragmentation" of older sciences. So, in chemistry a quantum direction, radiation, and so on, arose.

Negative sides

Despite the obvious advantages, differentiationcarries the danger of disintegration of the general picture of the world. The fragmentation of a single system into separate elements is a natural consequence of the intensive increase and sophistication of knowledge. This process inevitably leads to the specialization, separation of scientific activity. This has both positive and negative sides. Studying this aspect of the problem, Einstein pointed out that the work of individual scientists inevitably comes to a more limited section of general knowledge. Specialization can lead to the fact that a single understanding of knowledge can not keep up with the development of the system. As a result, there is a threat of narrowing the perspective of the scientist, belittling him to the level of an artisan.

A crisis

Mutual separation of scientific disciplines,Isolationist differentiation was considered the main trend until the 19th century. The result of this phenomenon was that, despite the impressive successes achieved during the progressing specialization, there was an increase in the mismatch of directions. This led to a crisis of scientific unity. However, already classical natural science gradually brings to the fore the idea of ​​the fundamental unity of the phenomena of nature and, consequently, of the disciplines that reflect them. In this connection, adjacent directions began to appear (biochemistry, physical chemistry, and so on). The boundaries that existed between the formalized directions have become increasingly conventional. At the same time, fundamental disciplines have penetrated so deeply into each other that arose the problem of forming a common system of knowledge about nature.

The process of integrating science

It proceeds simultaneously with the separation of a single system into elements. Integration of sciences - this phenomenon, the reverse of the fragmentation. The term originated from the Latin word, in the translation meaning "completion", "restoration". The term is used, as a rule, to denote the union of elements into a single whole. At the same time, it is supposed to overcome the disintegrating circumstances leading to the disunity of the system, excessive growth of the independence of its components. This should help to improve the orderliness and organization of the structure. Integration of sciences is mutual penetration, synthesis, associationdisciplines, their methods into one whole, the elimination of the boundaries between them. This is especially active now. Integration of modern science is expressed in the emergence of such areas as synergetics, cybernetics and so on. Together with this is the formation of various pictures of the world.

Key principles

Integration of sciences is based on the philosophical model of the unity of the world. Reality is common to all. Accordingly, its reflection should express unity. System-holistic nature of the environment determines the commonality of natural science cognition. In nature, there are no absolute dividing lines. In it there are only forms of movement of matter relatively independent. They pass into each other, they constitute the links of a common chain of development and movement. Accordingly, the disciplines in which they are studied can have relative rather than absolute independence in various fields.

Main directions

The independence of disciplines, the emergence of which causes integration of science, manifests itself:

1. In the organization of research at the border of directions. As a result, border disciplines act. In this case, the integration of sciences takes place, which are distinguished by a complex structure.
2. In the development of interdisciplinary methods. They can be used in a variety of spheres of knowledge, in which also occurs integration of science. Examples: spectral analysis, computer experiment, chromatography. A broader unification and mutual penetration of disciplines is provided by the mathematical method.
3. In the search for unifying principles and theories. They can be reduced to an endless variety of natural phenomena. For example, such theories are evolutionary global synthesis in biology, chemistry, physics, etc.
4. The development of theories that perform general methodological tasks in natural science. As a result, the integration of science, standing far enough apart (synergetics, cybernetics).
5. In changing the direct principle of the separation of disciplines. A new kind of problem areas arose. They solve primarily complex issues that require the involvement of several disciplines.

Interrelation of phenomena

As was said above, differentiation and integration of sciences flow at one time. However, at one stage or another, one can see the predominance of one phenomenon over another. Today differentiation and integration of sciences is due to various factors. With the prevailing unifying conditions, the industry emerges from the crisis of specialization. In many respects it is promoted integration of science and education. Meanwhile, at the present time there is a problemachieve greater order and organization. The fragmentation of disciplines today leads not to disunity, but, on the contrary, to the interpenetration of directions. Thus, we can say that the result of the separation is the integration of science. Production today largely depends on the achievements and discoveries of scientists, their research and the indicators they receive. For this reason, it is important to establish a connection between practical and theoretical activity.

Conclusion

Integration of sciences is a mechanism for the development of knowledge, inthe result of which is that its disparate elements are combined into one whole. In other words, there is a transition from "set" to "unity." This phenomenon acts as one of the most important laws of the development of knowledge, the formation of its integrity. It should be noted that not any interdisciplinary study of complex problems can be considered an integrative interaction of directions. The essence of the phenomenon lies in the compaction of information, the strengthening of system, capacity and complexity of knowledge. The problem of scientific integration has many facets. Its complexity makes it necessary to use advanced methods of methodological analysis.