Philosophy of science: Peering under the hood of our research race car

Not every ecologist needs or wants to examine the mechanics of their science. Such “under the hood” scrutiny by some practitioners and philosophers is, however, a necessary task. Philosophic inquiry delves into aspects of our science that we may not be aware of, consider problematic, or think worthy of examination. One example is the tension between simplicity and complexity in model selection, and the possible value of parsimony given the staggering complexity of ecological systems. By opening up the mechanics of our science to inspection, philosophy can identify faulty parts and processes, and sometimes even help us upgrade.