Theory And Fact, Theory And Practice

The Peregrine, CHAPTER XI.

Nomad Nicki says that Solarians smugly try to run the universe according to equations and a theory.

Coordinator Trevelyan Micah replies:

"'Any culture is based on a theory... Ours simply happens to be explicitly formulated.'" (p. 96)

Explicitly formulated, maybe. Predictive, no. Early psychotechnicians made predictions but we have seen that the later Coordinators are always behind with their information. 

The word, "theory," is much abused. Call evolution a theory and some say, "It is only a theory so it is not proved." For this reason, Richard Dawkins started calling evolution a "fact" but it is not a single datum which is one meaning of "fact." Theories explain facts but surely evolution is an overwhelmingly substantiated explanation of adaptation? If anyone can substantiate an alternative theory, then that will be well and good but let's hear it. 

Once Sheila referred to the "theory" of something and a friend responded, "So it is only theory, not fact?" She meant theory as opposed to practice, not theory as opposed to fact. That latter meaning, taken in isolation, is an extremely impoverished understanding of "theory." Theories are tools, not mere hypotheses. Theory guides practice. Practice tests theory.

Decades ago, a guy on a bus identified me as a student and opinionated, "We want practical, not theoretical!" We have to choose not between theory and practice but between better and worse theories. In James Blish's sf:

Newton

Einstein

Haertel

If a theory is disproved, then we have to seek a better one, not say, "So much the worse for theory!"