Typologies of knowledge: a reexamination from the perspective of cognitive materialism

MARIANO ZUKERFELD

Prometheus

Taylor and Francis

Año: 2017

0810-9028

The aim of this paper is to reexamine some typologies of knowledge, as a means of framing the presentation of our own typology, which arises from a particular theoretical framework: cognitive materialism. In a somewhat arbitrary route through the economy of innovation, organizational and management studies, the typologies of Lundvall, Machlup, Mokyr, Spender, Blackler and Chartrand are reviewed and criticised. Then, picking up on some elements which arise from the previous analysis, the proposal of a cognitive materialist typology is briefly introduced, based on distinguishing types of knowledge on the basis of the material medium or bearer they exist in. A division into four types is suggested: knowledge with a biological, subjective, intersubjective and objective bearer, each with their own respective sub-types.