LEVELS OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE: DEMARCATION OR SYNTHESIS
The representation of the structure of scientific knowledge levels as a set of the empirical, theoretical and meta-theoretical causes the problem of their relation. There are two possible solutions of the problem: demarcation (segregation of levels according to their meaning and determination of boundaries) and synthesis (negation of the independence of levels, reveal of the general). The article supports the synthetic solution, which is due to the following points: first, there are no definitions and essential features of each level; secondly, the thesis of the theoretical loading of experience and criticism of the standard concept of observation show the failure of segregating the empirical level. The introduction of the concept of «reflexive transformation» of the theoretical and empirical shows that a demarcation line between them is just conventional.