fallibilism
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈfæləˌbɪlɪzəm/
- Specialized
- But there's a huge gap between fallibilism and skepticism, and your phrasing is decidedly in the latter category, which is what I've been rejecting.
Examples
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That the hallmark of science was fallibilism, that everything we think we know is subject to doubt.
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"According to Peirce's doctrine of fallibilism, the conclusions of science are always tentative."
Blog text (12) -
And, of course, this fallibilism helps to inoculate empiricists against the self-righteousness of being necessarily right.
Academic text (2006) -
But it's also clear that, absent the brake of fallibilism, the totalitarian impulse finds freer rein.
Academic text (2006) -
The concept of fallibilism highlights the idea that our beliefs can be revised with new information.
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In philosophy, fallibilism asserts that no belief is immune to doubt and can always be challenged.
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Understanding fallibilism helps us appreciate that scientific theories may evolve as we gather more evidence.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Fallibilism comes from the word fallible, from Latin fallere meaning 'to fail', plus the ending -ism meaning 'a belief'. A helpful way to remember it is that fallible means 'able to make mistakes', so fallibilism is the belief that our knowledge can be wrong and should be open to change.