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SAGE Social Science Thesaurus

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Concept information

... > social science subjects > sociology > anthropology > research/theoretical frameworks > philosophy of science > instrumentalism of scientific theories and constructive empiricism
social science subjects > social research > philosophy and the social sciences > philosophy of science > instrumentalism of scientific theories and constructive empiricism
... > social science subjects > business and management > organization studies > organization studies encyc > philosophy of organizations > philosophy of science > instrumentalism of scientific theories and constructive empiricism

Preferred term

instrumentalism of scientific theories and constructive empiricism  

Definition

  • Our scientific theories allow us to systematize and to predict observational experience; and in so doing, they frequently postulate the existence of various unobservable entities and processes that are supposedly responsible for, and thus help us to explain, such occurrences. For example, it is a commonplace that unsupported bodies drop; our scientific theories allow us to calculate how quickly they will fall and also tell us that this is because of the strength of the gravitational field. [Source: Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Social Sciences; Instrumentalism of Scientific Theories and Constructive Empiricism]

Broader concept

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URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/N9J-XK6FLQ5W-5

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