It has become common to blame the modern science for dangerous consequences of introduction of its technologies. However, despite the sharp criticism it is the science that the humankind places its hopes in. Nano- and Biotechnologies appear as powerful transformers and saviors of the world. This brings up the question: can the science be preserved in future within the framework of the classical definition thereof or should it change its paradigm so that its achievements do not create threats for the humankind? Realties of the contemporary world and trends in scientific developments show that the latter is to happen.

An important feature of transformations in the modern science is its openness to other forms of understanding of the world. This is confirmed by increasing interest of modern sciences in ontological issues. The results of researches in the field of science sociology show that in recent decades there has been a tendency towards an ontological turn in the modern science¹. It is interesting that strengthening of researchers' attention to ontology can be observed not only in the social sciences and humanities, but mainly in STS². Here, ontology is considered not in the traditional philosophical interpretation - i.e. as a single study of the nature of being, but plurally and procedurally. It should be noted that interpretation of ontology as a multideveloping study has appeared not only due to thematic changes in the modern technical science knowledge. In philosophy, the idea of plurality of ontologies has been also well known for a long time. The supporters of this idea include philosophers who lived in different ages and worked in different directions. Leibniz and Rassel, and Queine are among them. For instance, Latour, the modern French science sociologist, suggests the concept of "practical metaphysics" according to which "real" is the thing which the person himself defines as the source of his action³. Whereas social determinants of action are losing their status of factors determining such action. Latour believes that the objective of metaphysics (which is understood as multiplicity of ontologies) consists in empiric consideration of various conflicting institutions and ideas which unite people and cause their actions. As the final result of their interaction each acting person creates his own ontology.

The idea of ontological turn in the modern science is interesting due to the fact that it allows to talk about the elements of integration of philosophical and scientific technical knowledge. (It is no accident that the above research is titled "Turning to Ontology in STS? Turning to STS through `Ontology'?"). The appeal to "practical metaphysics" in the modern knowledge is a sign of smearing of classical criteria of the scientific nature among which the main one is the criterion of objectivity. In this case connection of knowledge and human experience becomes a more essential characteristic of the scientific nature than objectivity. That is why one may assume that the ontological turn in the modern science is oriented to practical purposes. It is no accident that the subject of practical turn in the modern theory becomes more and more important and reveals a steady tendency towards change of the scientific paradigm in general ⁴.

The Ontological Turn in Science Through the Practical Turn in Philosophy

One of the important factors of such kind of practicization of the modern scientific paradigm is its openness to the philosophical knowledge which has recently been tending toward practical turn as well. Those ruling methods of understanding of a person and society which are based on the priority of an individual mind, rational action, social structures, systems and totalistic (metaphysic) method of thinking in general are being challenged. We will not consider this complicated process in detail but would like to note certain features of that process which are important for our research. We are referring not only to strengthening of practical use of philosophy in every day life but rather to the change of the method of philosophizing when the latter is aimed not at the production of another theory of being claiming to fully embrace the all but at intensification of such thinking which allows to actualize the wide spectrum of sense-creating possibilities of human experience including the experience of the modern science⁵. Philosophy's coming out to non-theoretical strata of thinking reveals such facet of comprehension of the world which exposes the world as a unity. This allows to see the world not only with "human" eyes but also with ontologically multiple eyes. One may assume that philosophy's openness to the natural science tends to strengthening namely due to "practicization" thereof when elaboration of new approaches to understanding of fundamental problems of both, the philosophy and technical science knowledge becomes a common cause. One of such common causes is discussions regarding the use of modern biotechnologies which discussions should result in reconciliation of human reason and ultimate foundations of human life.

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Notes

1. See: Turning to Ontology in STS? Turning to STS through `Ontology' Bas van Heur, Loet Leydesdorff and Sally Wyatt, Maastricht University, 2University of Amsterdam, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences // http://users.fmg.uva.nl/lleydesdorff/ontology/ontology.pdf.

2. STS - science and technology studies.

3. See: Latour B. Reassembling the social: an introduction to Actor-network theory, Oxford ; New York, Oxford: University Press, 2005.

4. See: The Practical Turn in Contemporary Theory. Edited by Theodore R. Schatzki, Karin Knorr Cetina & Eike von Savigny, London and New York: Routledge, 2001. Collection of articles representing the main ideas of "Practice and Social Order" conference which was held by the Interdisciplinary Research Centre (Bielefeld University, Germany, 4-6 January 1996).

5. The tendencies towards practical turn in the American pragmatism are evidenced by J. Dewey's attempt to reconsider in the anthropological meaning the notion of experience as an alternative to the notion of culture. See Colapietro V. A Revised Portrait of Human Agency: A Critical Engagement with Hans Joas's Creative Appropriation of the Pragmatic Approach // European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy. - 2009. - № 1.