ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to present two approaches to the field and production of scientific knowledge, based on the epistemology of Ludwik Fleck (1896-1961) and sociology of Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002). As the authors coincide in certain concepts and ideas regarding the way of thinking the scientific field and its knowledge production, we seek dialogue and a possible transversality, through the analysis of approximations and distances. The approximation of these authors is an exercise in looking at research production and the construction of its object, particularly when it comes to the History of Mathematics Education (HEM) in Brazil. This paper is comprised of two parts. First, we organize the epistemological aspects that each author defends. Then, we focus on the constitution of a scientific field, on the way this process of institution occurs, and on the movements and collective actions that strengthen this field and share its knowledge production. We list some important concepts for both authors, such as “thinking style” and “thought collective” for Fleck, as well as “scientific field” and “habitus” for Bourdieu. The transversality between these authors is mainly related to the conception of scientific knowledge as something social, part of a collective and not isolated.
Keywords:
Scientific field; Epistemology; Ludwik Fleck; Pierre Bourdieu; Sociology