a perspective on the development of science as akin to one single puzzle that is collectively solved piece by piece
this model was discussed by George Kelly who rejected it in favour of what he called constructive alternativism
"Kelly posited two models of how science might be imagined to proceed. One he described as 'accumulative fragmentalism', which saw science as analogous to a collective endeavour to complete a vast jig-saw puzzle, where each piece in turn needed to be found and carefully verified and fitted into its right place, before moving on to the next piece.This matched a commonly held image (perhaps even caricature) of the work of science, but Kelly preferred a different description, indeed a 'philosophical position', that he called 'constructive alternativism'… In this model, there is no sense that we might soon finish the jigsaw picture of nature" (Taber, 2020)
[Please be aware that a word may have different nuances, or even a different meaning, according to context.]« Back to Index
