ETHOS OF SCIENCE - TRENDS OF CHANGES IN THE LATE XX-EARLY XXI CENTURY
The article reveals the content of the concept of science as a vocation used by Max Weber in his speech to the students of the University of Munich in which he laid the foundations of the professional duty of scientists and teachers of University. The author argues that the concept of “ethos of science” introduced into scientific circulation by R.K. Merton reflects not the morals of scientists, but contains professional and ethical norms-ideals, i.e. norms of ethical “due” of scientific activity as well as benchmarks of the activity of scientists. The author proves the necessity of applying an ethical approach to the ethos of science, along with philosophical and sociological approaches, makes it possible to find out the real deviations from the norms of ethics of a scientist, such as plagiarism, compilation or multiple publication, as well as evaluate their consequences for the significance of scientific publications. The conclusion is made concerning the increasing role of moral regulators in the functioning of the social Institute of science.