Cooperative Division of Cognitive Labour: The Social Epistemology of Photosynthesis Research

Abstract How do scientists generate knowledge in groups, and how have they done so the past? epistemically motivated social interactions influence or even drive this process? These questions speak to core interests of both history philosophy science. Idealised models formal arguments been suggested illuminate epistemology science, but their conclusions are not directly applicable scientific practice. This paper uses one these as a lens historiographical tool examination actual collectives. It centres on analysis two episodes from photosynthesis research late nineteenth- mid-twentieth centuries, which display wide coordinated intellectual diversity similar Kitcher’s “division cognitive labour” (1990). The concept, I argue, captures important aspects communities, underlying process unfolded ways that differ model’s assumption interesting ways. unravels self-organised interplay cooperation competition, dynamics individual collective goals within communities were influential factors generation knowledge. From there, some thoughts developed historical philosophical approaches science can productively interact.