Understanding the Knowledge Society

Complex knowledge, in many different forms, is generated, shared and accessed globally. Andrea Cerroni turns to this knowledge society to offer a comprehensive social theory of its processes and specificities, outlining controversies of knowledge and bridging the gap between knowledge and democracy. Proposing a systematic and interdisciplinary typology to deal with multitudes of knowledge types, the author builds a theoretically grounded framework around the sociology of knowledge. This book offers a panorama of the extant literature on knowledge types and takes advantage of suggestions from different scientific disciplines, from neurosciences and epigenetics, to anthropology and physics. Drawing on a long-term historical perspective, Cerroni assembles a cultural matrix, comprising ancient myths on nature, society and knowledge and modern myths of reductionism, individualism and relativism to inspire contemporary sociological imagination. Comprising an innovative and authoritative approach, this eclectic book will appeal to advanced scholars seeking a new theoretical framework for understanding the knowledge society. Students of sociology and epistemology will also benefit from its insights into the origins and philosophical background of the sociology of knowledge.