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Problems of representation of science in a museum, or About the destiny of the concept “boundary object” // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2024. Issue 4 (42). P. 119-142

The question this article discusses relates to the existence of concepts that would be both philosophical and scientific. The answer to it is fundamental to the justification of the conceptual language of the philosophy of science, as well as contemporary Science and Technology Studies (STS). The article assumes the possibility of the existence of such concepts and aims to explicate their destiny. In the introduction, the authors describe characteristics of such concepts. Firstly, concepts should represent the state of affairs and solve a problem; that is, the state of affairs must be viewed as problematic. Secondly, they must not only represent the problem but also be included in its solution and interact with the state of affairs. Thirdly, the representation of the problem as the content of such a concept should allow for the expansion on additional areas and assume revising, transformation, supplementation with new meanings. In the main part, the authors consider the concept “boundary object” as such a hybrid concept. The formation of this concept is associated with the STS project, and the content is the problem of visual representation of science in the museum. The explication of the destiny of this concept includes, firstly, defining its place in the problem field of STS with an emphasis on the intertwining of its philosophical and scientific nature, and, secondly, turning to a new problematic field for applying the concept – the Dmitri Mendeleev Museum and Archives at St Petersburg University. On this basis, the authors reveal the characteristics of the philosophical and scientific destiny of this concept considering the problems of public communication of science and history of science with its presentism and antiquarianism approaches. In the conclusion, the authors emphasize the prospects of the boundary object concept. The authors dedicate the publication to the 300th anniversary of the founding of St Petersburg University and the 190th anniversary of Dmitri Mendeleev.

Keywords: representation of science, boundary object, philosophical concept, scientific concept, science museum, public communication of science, history of science