new experimentalism

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Some time, around the 1980s, philosophers of science turned their attention to scientific experiments in a way that contrasted with the reigning approaches to philosophy of science. My colleague, Wendy Parker, and I decided to embark on an experiment of our own, aimed at elucidating some central themes of this evolving movement, sometimes referred to as the ‘new experimentalism.’ It was to begin tomorrow, but due to unexpected weather conditions, I’ll be traveling back then, and find myself with an additional afternoon in New York City. So I’ll take this opportunity to begin my reflections, with the expectation of later incorporating Wendy’s insights, and refining my own. The philosophical concepts and ideas stemming from the philosophy of experiment provide powerful tools for making progress on fundamental problems of how we find things out in the face of limitations of data, models, and methods. The time is ripe for a comprehensive examination of this field, but our “experiment on experiment” here will be the bare beginnings of themes that come to mind. Please suggest corrections and additions in the comments. Continue reading →