The practice of research in education assumes considerations about the meaning of scientifi c knowledge that can be seen in different ways. We chose to view research in education from a perspective of the epistemological discussion that places the question of science in an intellectual environment of valuing reason. Considering this meaning at the moment of its constitution and consolidation gives us elements for investigating the aspects that are present, though not necessarily explicit, in the action of research in education. We start by discussing epistemic statute of science in the Age of Enlightenment, seeking to understand the origins of the scientifi c knowledge and the intellectual practices assumed. We then examine part of the debate surrounding the production of the scientifi c knowledge on the human phenomenon, discussing how this production is inserted in the wider scope of scientifi c rationality. For the discussion, we look to the contribution of philosophers who have dedicated themselves to questioning and searching for the meaning of science.