The Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Strong Program Essay

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The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Strong Program
Introduction
The strong program is a particular kind of sociology science that was developed by Barry Barnes and David Bloor to describe scientific theories where similar explanations are used to describe opposite ideas (Mazzotti, 2012). The concept originated from Edinburgh school in the mid-1970s, where it was used as a reaction against earlier theories, which were considered weak (Brown, 2014). In most cases, failed theories are usually explained by mentioning the biases that were overlooked by the researchers; therefore, sociology would be only relevant to successful theories that reveal a fact about nature. A strong program accommodates theories that are either considered true or false and treat them equally, thereby creating symmetry. Additionally, social factors are considered to be the causal agent that determines whether the theory under scrutiny is true or false.
There has been a continuous debate among sociologist who support the strong program and those who are opposed to the program. Researchers have questioned the application of the strong program in scientific knowledge (Brown, 2014). According to Brown (2014), the program is not as strong as it is purported by Barnes and Bloor because it cannot be applied in all scientific cases. Therefore, looking at the arguments raised by the opposing groups can provide a ground for identifying the weaknesses and the strengths associated with the strong program.
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