Afterword comments and evaluates the presented monography about forms of knowledable activities and agencies in current societies from two related cognitive fields and topics: (i) social studies of science and technology, and (ii) concepts of knowledge societies. Within the framework of both perspectives a closer attention is paid to the contribution of Nico Stehr to the latter cognitive issue.
This discussion starts with his original contribution to the concept of knowledge society from the 90s of last century and the context which influenced its formulation. In goes on to describe his closer examination of the productive role of knowledge in development of current economic and political institutions.
Of the particular interest there are Stehr's arguments in favour of (re-) constitution of a deliberative, liberal democratic forms of political governance in an environment of medialized societies.