The Method of Science

The method of science, in Peirce's 1877 formulation, is distinguished from tenacity, authority, and the a priori method by a single feature: it is self-correcting. The scientist accepts a belief because predictions derived from the belief have been checked against observations, and she revises the belief when the predictions fail. Tenacity cannot detect its own errors because it refuses to consider alternatives. Authority cannot detect errors because it suppresses dissent. The a priori method cannot detect errors because it evaluates beliefs against cultural assumptions rather than evidence. Only the method of science has a built-in mechanism for error detection: the confrontation between belief and experience, the willingness to revise when the confrontation goes badly, and the community of inquirers whose collective scrutiny exposes errors individuals would miss.