From a history of science to a history of knowledge. Historicizing the knowledge society

The concept of "the knowledge society" has come to occupy an important place in public debate. Analyzing problematic assumptions about the development of knowledge and the sciences in modem times, the paper traces the historical narrative generally implied by use of the concept in sociological literature. It goes on to elaborate the contribution of historians to this issue in the various branches of the discipline, with particular attention to the sphere of the history of science. Although the new history of science has helped to change considerably the perception of science's role in modem society, it too has blind spots owing to its connection with the traditional scientific disciplines. For the purpose of developing a broader perspective for a history of knowledge, the author suggests three fields of research into the configuration of the knowledge society: the impact of knowledge on the shaping of industrial society; the ambivalent processes of "scientification" and "de-scientification"; the role played by knowledge in how modem western society imagines itself. In this way, the history of knowledge may yield fresh insights into key historiographical questions and, at the same time, will stimulate critical reflection in current debates on the knowledge society.