实验优位还是理论优位?——哈金新实验主义思想简评

Theory Priority or Experiment Priority?——Comments on Hacking's New Experimentalism Thoughts

新实验主义的创始人伊恩·哈金提出"实验有自己的生命"的命题,认为实验先于理论,实验干预并创造现象,实验室科学可以自我辩护。哈金高举实验的旗帜,试图把哲学从传统的"理论优位"转向"实验优位",为科学哲学指明了新的发展方向。在协调论看来,哈金的新实验主义试图从"实验"的窗口考察科学哲学的新图景固然有益,但并不能证明实验优位,也不能否证理论优位。协调论不坚持理论优位,也反对实验优位,通过对哈金新实验主义实验优位论的批判,协调论主张理论和实验都是认识论的研究窗口,其研究结果在更深层面上可能是一种等价关系。

Ian Hacking, who is the founder of the new experimentalism, proposes the proposition of ＂experiment has a life of its own＂. He thinks that experiment is prior to theory, because it can intervene and create phenomena, and the laboratory science can defense itself. Hacking highly praises such experimental thought which transfers people ＇s philosophical view of the traditional ＂theory priority＂ to ＂experiment priority＂. Thus, he points out a new direction for the development of philosophy of science. According to the theory of coordination, it is beneficial that the new experimentalism of Hacking attempts to study philosophy of science from the window of ＂experiment＂, but it can not prove the ＂experiment priority＂, or cannot disprove＂theory priority＂. The theory of coordination does not support ＂theory priority＂, but opposes ＂experiment priority.＂ Based on the critics on ＂experiment priority＂ in Hacking＇s new experimentalism, the theory of coordination claims that theory and experiment, which may be equivalent in a deeper sense, are both the research window for epistemology.