Experimentalism
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Experimentalism is the philosophical belief that the way to truth is through
experiment An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into Causality, cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome oc ...
s and empiricism. It is also associated with
instrumentalism In philosophy of science and in epistemology, instrumentalism is a methodological view that ideas are useful instruments, and that the worth of an idea is based on how effective it is in explaining and predicting phenomena. According to instrumenta ...
, the belief that truth should be evaluated based upon its demonstrated usefulness. Experimentalism is considered a theory of knowledge that emphasizes direct action and scientific control as well as methods and consequences.


Conceptualizations

Experimentalism is referred to as John Dewey's version of
pragmatism Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition that considers words and thought as tools and instruments for prediction, problem solving, and action, and rejects the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. ...
. The theory, which he also called as practicalism, holds that the pattern for knowledge should be modern science and modern scientific methods. Dewey explained that philosophy involves the critical evaluation of belief and that the concept's function is practical. This perspective has influenced modern American intellectual culture leading to a correction of approaches to science that had excessive concentrations on theory. While experimentalism is empirical in approach, experimentalism is distinguished from it. The former involves the passive view of sense data and observational reports while the latter focuses on conditions where hypotheses are tested. Experimentalists maintain that political and moral concepts arise because of conflict, hence consider experience and history as essential. It is also maintained that the experimental attitude is based on the principle of
fallibilism Originally, fallibilism (from Medieval Latin: ''fallibilis'', "liable to err") is the philosophical principle that propositions can be accepted even though they cannot be conclusively proven or justified,Haack, Susan (1979)"Fallibilism and Nece ...
, operating with the notion that outcomes of prior inquiries are not absolutely certain or already known and that prior findings could be wrong. Deborah Mayo suggests that we should focus on how experimental knowledge is actually arrived at and how it functions in science. Mayo also suggests that the reason New Experimentalists have come up short, is that the part of experiments that have the most to offer in building an account of inference and evidence that are left untapped: designing, generating, modelling and analysing experiments and data.


Applications

Artists often pursue their visions through
trial and error Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem-solving characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success, or until the practicer stops trying. According to W.H. Thorpe, the term was devised by C. Lloyd Morgan (18 ...
; this form of experimentalism has been practiced in every field, including
music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
, film,
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
, and
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
. A more specific explanation cites that this experimentalism is inductive in nature, with artists (e.g. Michelangelo and
Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian (Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, nea ...
) proceeding by trial and error as opposed to the conceptualists' approach, which favors making preparatory work while step changes are made in their progress. Artistic experimentalism taken as a rule is generally associated with an attendant
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
. In literature, the experimental approach may involve the production of texts through a combination of new procedures of literary production such as the inclusion of images in poetry. This is also seen in the works of computer artists or those who integrate technology in their art. For instance, Stan VanderBeek produced ''Poemfield'' through programming using BEFLIX to animate the poem's words and embed a geometric background. In education, there is the position that learners continuously need new methods and experimentalism is essential in the development process. Through the method of learning-by-doing, it is expected that the learner develops his capacities and interests so that they empower him to assume the role of constructive participant in the life of the wider society. The experimentalist's view emphasizes the importance of life experience as the basis of what is learned. Experiences are said to consist the active interrelationship between the individual and the external world. Global security specialists employ experimentalism to develop and maintain multi-faceted projects as well as determine innovative tools of governance. Such projects are operationalized through a trial-and-error and adaptive manner.


See also

* Neo-experimentalism *
Experimental philosophy Experimental philosophy is an emerging field of philosophical inquiry Edmonds, David and Warburton, NigelPhilosophy’s great experiment, ''Prospect'', March 1, 2009 that makes use of empirical data—often gathered through surveys which probe ...
* Positivism


References

{{reflist Experiments Broad-concept articles