Schuol S (2026)
Publication Type: Book chapter / Article in edited volumes
Publication year: 2026
Original Authors: Sebastian Schuol
Edited Volumes: Scientific Mistakes and Mistaken Science
Pages Range: 57-80
ISBN: 9783032259240
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-25925-7_4
This article provides a systematic and conceptual examination of failure in science. It first considers its marginalization in German academic discourse and its recent, albeit fragmented, resurgence. The author distinguishes failure from related concepts such as error and mistake, categorizes it in different knowledge contexts, and identifies its relevance for scientific practice. A model consisting of the three relata actor, goal and cause is developed as a philosophical tool and its analytical relevance is demonstrated using selected scientific examples. On a psychological level, failure is identified as an act of attribution (contrary to an objective fact) and, due to this interpretative character, can always be denied or even strategically avoided. Furthermore, failure is considered in science as a whole, in research and in teaching, whereby both its productive and its detrimental dimensions are identified. Contrary to its previous taboo, the article argues for a culture of failure in the sciences. In the quest for scientific knowledge, both the epistemic value and the potential damage of failure should be recognized.
APA:
Schuol, S. (2026). Failure in Science: A Conceptual and Systematic Exploration. In Scientific Mistakes and Mistaken Science. (pp. 57-80).
MLA:
Schuol, Sebastian. "Failure in Science: A Conceptual and Systematic Exploration." Scientific Mistakes and Mistaken Science. 2026. 57-80.
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