Plural Scientific Method

The recognition that there is no single "Scientific Method" but rather a pluralistic toolkit of methods, each suited to different questions, domains, and scales. Physics methods work for physics; ecology methods work for ecology; ethnography methods work for humans. Plural Method rejects the hierarchy that puts some sciences above others and instead asks: what tools are appropriate for this problem? It's the difference between insisting every tradesperson use a hammer and recognizing that plumbers need wrenches, electricians need testers, and sometimes you need all three. Pluralism isn't relativism—it's just acknowledging that reality is various and requires various tools.

"You keep saying economics isn't a real science because it can't do controlled experiments like physics. Plural Scientific Method says: different domains, different methods. You don't test a parachute the same way you test a marriage, and that's fine."

by Dumu The Void February 23, 2026

Scientific Pluralism

The recognition that there are multiple, legitimate ways of doing science, multiple valid methods, multiple useful ontologies, and that no single approach exhausts reality. Different sciences study different scales with different tools; within a science, multiple models may coexist (particle vs. wave). Pluralism doesn't mean "anything goes"—it means the world is various, and our ways of knowing must be various too. The pluralist doesn't seek the one true method—they seek the right tool for the job, and they carry many tools.

"You keep insisting that only quantitative methods are real science. Scientific Pluralism says: ecology needs ethnography, physics needs mathematics, medicine needs narrative. Different jobs, different tools. Your one-size-fits-all scientism isn't rigorous—it's just narrow."

by Abzugal February 23, 2026

Epistemological Pluralism

The recognition that there are multiple, legitimate ways of knowing, multiple valid epistemic frameworks, multiple useful knowledge systems, and that no single approach exhausts what can be known. Science knows some things; art knows others; tradition knows others; intuition knows others. Pluralism doesn't mean "anything goes"—it means reality is various, and our ways of knowing must be various too. The pluralist doesn't seek the one true method—they seek the right tool for the knowing job, and they carry many tools.

"You keep insisting that only scientific knowledge counts as real. Epistemological Pluralism says: science knows molecules; poetry knows grief; your grandmother knows how to read a room. Different tools, different knowledge. Your one-size-fits-all epistemology isn't rigorous—it's just impoverished."

by Abzugal February 23, 2026