SCIENTIFIC FALLIBILISM AND THE DEMOCRATIC EXPERIMENT: A COMPLEMENTARY SYNTHESIS

Abstract

Scientific fallibilism is a methodology of inquiry in the empirical sciences. Although developed as a core concern in Peircean pragmatism, it is purposed to institute scientific modesty in the search for scientific truth. It portrays scientific truth as a claim in the nondogmatic sense; thus, vulnerable in so far as future research can alter the judgment of the moment. It leans heavily on probabilism which continually characterizes its presentation. Peirce leaves the search for scientific results to the community of scholars. This ensures that the highest degree of objectivity is guaranteed. In this, there is the unmistakable democratization of the result of scientific inquiry. Truth remains a democratic scientific process. The transposition of the theory of fallibilism to political thought is another feature of this paper. Fallibilism was applied in the exploration of the realities of democratic theory and praxis. Democracy is a methodological process in praxiological perfectibility. To that extent, it is always regarded as an experiment. Fallibilism proffers democracy the opportunity to achieve dexterity in transforming the lives of the people. Science maximizes this lengthy experimental process to advance the course of truth. In the main, the paper proposes that democracy should match this feat by the willingness of its players to attain the highest possible degree in positively lifting the people to high levels of development. The method applied in the research is expository, elucidation by way of analysis and the complementation of the activities of the two domains of science as well as political theory and art by way of synthesis