Michael Polanyi's theory of tacit knowledge : towards a reappraisal of rationality, science and methodology
The progress of science depends partly, upon the acceptance of indeterminate tacit premisses about the nature of science and the object of science. These premisses are tacit because (i) they extend to what is beyond the limitations of present data, -not the empirical or the imaginative- and therefore involve heuristic anticipations. (ii) they also involve personal and interpersonal mechanisms such as the personal presuppositions and commitments of the scientist operating within a given community. This community confers values on scientific work in the form of publications, research grants, professional positions, etc.. This transcends the objective subjective dichotomy since the scientist submits to requirements acknowledged by himself with universal intent, that is the scientist's responsibility to pursue his research and confer his judgements as his vision of reality would have him hold as universally necessary. (iii)their acceptance is largely a-critical - they are functional interpretative systems rather than static objects. Although when they are the object of study, they are facts, they are not the fact since they play a vectorial role in establishing facts. They make factuaiity possible. There is a
Mwamba, Tchafu
Scientific objectivity
Michael Polanyi's theory of tacit knowledge : towards a reappraisal of rationality, science and methodology. The progress of science depends partly, upon the acceptance of indeterminate tacit premisses about the nature of science and the object of science. These premisses are tacit because (i) they extend to what is beyond the limitations of present data, -not the empirical or the imaginative- and therefore involve heuristic anticipations. (ii) they also involve personal and interpersonal mechanisms such as the personal presuppositions and commitments of the scientist operating within a given community. This community confers values on scientific work in the form of publications, research grants, professional positions, etc.. This transcends the objective subjective dichotomy since the scientist submits to requirements acknowledged by himself with universal intent, that is the scientist's responsibility to pursue his research and confer his judgements as his vision of reality would have him hold as universally necessary. (iii)their acceptance is largely a-critical - they are functional interpretative systems rather than static objects. Although when they are the object of study, they are facts, they are not the fact since they play a vectorial role in establishing facts. They make factuaiity possible. There is a
theory tacit knowledge towards reappraisal rationality science methodology progress science depend partly upon acceptance indeterminate tacit premiss nature science object science premiss tacit extend_beyond limitation present data not empirical imaginative therefore involve heuristic anticipation also_involve personal_interpersonal mechanism personal presupposition commitment scientist operate_within give community community value scientific work form publication grant professional position etc transcends objective subjective dichotomy since scientist requirement acknowledge universal intent scientist responsibility pursue confer judgement vision reality would hold universally necessary iii acceptance largely critical functional interpretative system rather static object although object study fact fact since play role establish fact make possible