Charles writes: > Can we get into a little more what a heuristic is ? Seems to be a sort of ok device for guiding scientific enquire, but sort of not a fulfledged ...what ? Theoretical concept ? What is the term for other types of ideas ( that are more than heuristic ) that are used in scientific or economic theories ? "Heuristic devices" seem to be tools used in a scientific or knowledge process, but not the ultimate theoretical concepts. <
you've got it. A heuristic is a device for guiding thought or inquiry. One example is the dialectical way of thinking, which does not give answers as much as tell you what questions to ask: how does the whole affect the parts? how do the parts affect the whole? how does the dynamic interaction between these work? (cf. Lewontin & Levins, THE DIALECTICAL BIOLOGIST, last chapter.) JDevine
