Skip to main content

Dialectical Science Theory

A philosophy of science that applies dialectical logic to the history and practice of science. It views scientific progress as driven by internal contradictions: between theory and observation, between competing paradigms, between prediction and result. These contradictions generate crises (antitheses) that are resolved by new syntheses (more comprehensive theories). Unlike Popperian falsification (which sees science as conjecture and refutation), dialectical science theory emphasizes that progress often occurs through the merging of opposing viewpoints. It draws on Hegel, Marx, and Engels, and has influenced evolutionary biology, physics, and social science.
Example: “Dialectical science theory interpreted the wave‑particle debate as a contradiction that eventually synthesized into quantum field theory—not a refutation but a higher unity.”
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal April 5, 2026
mugGet the Dialectical Science Theory mug.

Share this definition

Sign in to vote

We'll email you a link to sign in instantly.

Or

Check your email

We sent a link to

Open your email