This article explores the communicative and social conditions for the functioning of modern science. The perspective, in this case, is determined in the context of the ideas of “understanding sociology”. The author of the article uses the analysis of the ideal-typical conditions of modern science that were denoted by M. Weber in order to develop the concept of the “invariant to modernity” of science. The author also substantiates that the concept of the “scientific knowledge” binds other fundamental concepts of social philosophy into a single conceptual node – first of all the concept of sociality, time, (scientific) object, truth, and values. In “Science as a Vocation” Weber proposed such a concept of modern science, that was based on a specific temporal logic of human life, as it was formulated by Lev Tolstoy. Thereby, characterizing the regional and cultural specifics of present science, he complements the general multicultural perspective of scientific and educational practices emerging in his epoch. In this context, American science is presented as an unpleasant, but an inevitable prospect of the university's transformation into the state-capitalist corporation, capable to produce just temporarily significant products. The author shows how the trends of science development noticed by Weber were realized in different countries in the 20th century, which allows us to speak about the relevance of Weber's concept for a modern social philosophy.