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Definition of "fallibilism" [fallibilism]

  • The doctrine that knowledge is never certain, but always hypothetical and susceptible to correction. (noun)

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Use "fallibilism" in a sentence
  • "The three properties which Peirce had ascribed to scientific method in the context of experimental practice, namely fallibilism, corrigibility and progressivism, could be obtained in the application of critical intelligence to social and political problems."
  • "In hard science, it's never considered 100% proven...this is called "fallibilism", and is necessary to keep mistakes from becoming officially ingrained."
  • "On the contrary, it is based on the principle of "fallibilism" (enunciated by the American philosopher Charles Peirce, elaborated upon by Popper and many other theorists, and put into practice by scientists themselves) according to which science progresses by continually correcting itself, falsifying its hypotheses by trial and error, admitting its own mistakes - and by considering that an experiment that doesn't work out is not a failure but is worth as much as a successful one because it proves that a certain line of research was mistaken and it is necessary either to change direction or even to start over from scratch."