Complex sociotechnical systems as a subject of constructivist epistemology research: a descriptor of subjectivity

¹ Department of theoretical and applied political science, Southern Federal University (SFU), 344006 Rostov-on-Don, Russia
² Ph.D in Philosophy, Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy and World Religions, Don State Technical University (DSTU), 344002 Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

¹ Corresponding author: tan5@bk.ru

Abstract

Epistemology began to show some signs of crisis, it touched its scientific paradigm: the object. subject, method, as well as its social relevance. In society, there was a request not only to obtain knowledge about knowledge, but also to use knowledge management technologies as a consumer of information, which is due to the rapid growth of the number of Internet users and its autonomy and independence. The aim of the work is to consider in the subject field of epistemology of technical networks (Internet) as an independent actor and an element of a special sociotechnical system; analysis of the activities of network social actors to establish control over the process of social cognition through knowledge management and attitudes. Bruno Latour's "actor-network theory" (ANT) was chosen as the research method it allows to give theoretical and methodological substantiation of the descriptor of subjectivity of networks in complex sociotechnical systems. The paper assesses the technical networks (Internet) as an independent actor of the sociotechnical system and describes their functioning in this capacity. The analysis of such a sphere in the subject area of epistemology as knowledge management, little studied, but extremely relevant in connection with the perception of the global Internet as a fairly independent area of life of network communities and new network media. It is concluded that a promising direction for modern constructivist epistemology is the study of the problems of establishing control over the production, transfer and accumulation of knowledge in society, as well as the negative manifestations of such control in the form of manipulation of consciousness, the use of open and hidden censorship.