ABSTRACT
In traditional philosophy of science, observation and experiment are equal to each other, and both contribute propositions of observation statements to establishment and development of theory. This chapter examines the several elements relationship from the perspective of history and practice, placing them in their practical processes. It discusses problems like the role of observation at the research start point, intended / unintended observation, the role of experiment among candidate theories, unique role of experiment, probing experiment without accepted theory, and so on. The chapter shows that only intertwine of life between experiment and theory can be the truth of scientific practice. The proposition ‘theory-ladenness of observation’ proposed by N. R. Hanson, which gave the fatal blow to the logical positivism and played a pioneer role in historicism, has broadly become the new received view in philosophy of science. Criticism of new experimentalist on the proposition of’ theory-ladenness’ is right in the middle position.
