The systematic study of ad hoc
constructions—temporary solutions, situational
explanations, one-off fixes—and their role in human affairs. Ad hoc sciences examine how ad hoc reasoning works, when it's appropriate, and how it can be improved. They study the psychology of ad hoc (why we invent what we invent), the sociology of ad hoc (how temporary fixes spread or die), and the history of ad hoc (which temporary solutions became permanent). Ad hoc sciences are themselves somewhat ad hoc—developed for this purpose, in this context, without claiming
universality. They're the science of making do, and they make do themselves.
Example: "He studied ad hoc sciences, learning how to generate temporary solutions that worked well enough for now. His
dissertation was titled 'The
Epistemology of the Temporary: How We Know What Works for Now.'
The committee found it either brilliant or ad hoc—they couldn't decide which. He graduated anyway, which was ad hoc enough."