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Any work of science, no matter what its point of…

“Any work of science, no matter what its point of departure, cannot become fully convincing until it crosses the boundary between the theoretical and the experimental: Experimentation must give way to argument, and argument must have recourse to experimentation.” quote by Gaston Bachelard
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“Any work of science, no matter what its point of departure, cannot become fully convincing until it crosses the boundary between the theoretical and the experimental: Experimentation must give way to argument, and argument must have recourse to experimentation.”

Gaston Bachelard

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Scientific ideas must be tested experimentally; theory and experiment must inform each other.

In simple terms: Theory needs experiments to be convincing.

Key Takeaway

Balance theory with testing.

Themes

science methodology validation

Mood

analytical inquisitive

Type

educational philosophical

When to use this quote

  • research projects
  • product development
  • policy making

Key Concepts

empiricism philosophy of science

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you integrate testing?
  • What limits arise without experiments?
A Different Perspective

Pure theory without data can mislead.

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