Why your most certain beliefs might be wrong, and why that is actually good.
In short: Fallibilism is the philosophical stance that knowledge does not require absolute certainty. Rather than leading to skepticism, this perspective suggests that all human claims are provisional and open to revision. By embracing the possibility of error, we gain a functional framework for learning and meaningful intellectual growth.
Coined in the late 19th century by Charles Sanders Peirce, fallibilism challenges the foundationalist desire for absolute justification. At its core, the theory posits that propositions can be accepted as knowledge even without conclusive proof. This implies corrigibilism, the idea that any assertion remains subject to correction when confronted with new evidence. While historically many thinkers, from Plato to René Descartes, sought infallible foundations for belief, modern philosophy largely rejects the necessity of absolute certainty.
The mechanism of fallibilism is deeply tied to the concepts of infinite regress and infinite progress. Philosopher Scott F. Aikin argues that fallibilism relies on the reality of infinite regress, where every proposition demands further justification. Conversely, the notion of infinite progress, explored by thinkers like Thomas Hobbes and Immanuel Kant, captures the human drive to refine our capacities indefinitely. Elizabeth F. Cooke suggests these are not cognitive failures, but essential conditions that allow for the acquisition of knowledge and the navigation of a meaningful life.
In the 20th century, Karl Popper transformed these ideas into a scientific methodology. In his 1934 work, The Logic of Scientific Discovery, Popper argued that science advances by falsifying conjectures rather than verifying them. While Imre Lakatos later critiqued Popper for failing to justify the falsification principle itself, both thinkers underscored the importance of a critical attitude. Today, fallibilism is widely accepted in the sciences, where assertions are treated as provisional guesses that have simply survived rigorous testing, rather than as immutable truths.
Crucially, fallibilism is not a gateway to skepticism or relativism. It does not claim that knowledge is impossible or that choices between theories are arbitrary. Instead, it maintains that we can learn and move closer to the truth, even without a perfect criterion to guarantee we are free from error. By accepting that our logical and mathematical systems are revisable, as Susan Haack and Hans Albert have suggested, we move away from the illusion of infallibility toward a more dynamic, rational pursuit of understanding.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Fallibilism
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