The article examines the historical development of the processes of knowledge accumulation, which eventually led to the formation of the current scientific paradigm, which is the information basis of modern human life. The article is based on the scientific-critical use of previous achievements in the field of history of science. The scientific novelty of the article is a comprehensive presentation of the historical development of the scientific paradigm as a result of a natural dialectical change of its specific stages with appropriate systematization of knowledge (mythology, philosophy, science), caused by the growth of knowledge and development of research methods. contemplation, experiment with the subsequent formation of a theoretical model). Materials, research in the article allow us to say that current trends in the role of science in modern society are forcing us to return to the processes of formation of the scientific paradigm. The latter were complex and nonlinear, and the formation of scientific principles of cognition was their natural result. Throughout human history, the acquisition and use of knowledge about the objective world has been carried out in various, historically necessary forms - both in the methodology of cognition and in the method of systematization, which was determined by the level of their accumulation. The authors note that the accumulation of knowledge in society took place in the process of direct practical activity, on the basis of alleged "external" contemplation and as a result of conscious influence on the object of study (experiment) with their different "specific weight" at different historical stages. Thus, today the scientific paradigm is a natural result of the historical development of forms of knowledge and its highest achievement, and the reduction of its role objectively leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of social development.