3.1. The levels of medico-sociological knowledge
Representation of sociology of medicine as a system of knowledge needs an understanding of the essence of cognitive activity. The cognition methodology stratifies the cognitive activity (and the system of knowledge) into practical, exper imental, and theoretical levels. The results obtained at these levels of cognitive activity are different, although they are interrelated and interdependent. The practical activity elaborates the rules and develops technologies, tools, and apparatuses. The experimental activity yields devices, installations, models, and laws. The results of theoretical activity are theories and principles. The major result of cognitive activity is persistent elaboration of the rules, laws, and categories of high and still higher levels. These higher entities can be the refined, improved, and modernized old rules, laws, and principles - or, in contrast, they can represent the new and previously unknown regularities. The rules, laws, and principles form the basis of any study, and cognition abstracts away from this basis in future. Practice, experiment, and novel theories enhance the level and volume of knowledge in specific branches of science.
The categorical succession of the cognitive activity can be presented in the following way (Fig. 3.1):
Formation and evolution of medico-sociological knowledge, the procedures of introduction into subject matter, isolation of the examined subject, establishment of its
properties, facets, and relations, as well as generalization of knowledge about the selected subject are based on the entire complex of the cognition process, which therefore presents the aim and content of scientific cognition. Exclusion of any component from the process of scientific knowledge can result in complete inability of the researcher. For instance, in many cases the practice is not considered as a type of cognitive activity being altogether