the miscellaneous bin of philosophy. Several other metaphysical topics that may interest testers and other software professionals include perception (Can two different people perceive the same experience differently?) and determinism (Can we affect the course of history, or is everything that happens simply part of a huge, inalterable chain of cause and effect?)
Conclusion
Because the world tends to work in ostensibly straightforward ways, it's easy to get caught by exceptions to the rule. As testers, however, those exceptions to the rule are our stock in trade. To avoid being caught unaware, we need to take account of and critically examine the assumptions we make about how the world works, what things are in it, and which of those things are important. Metaphysics provides a tool to let us ensure our inquiries are founded on solid ground and lays the foundation for us to be sure of knowing what we know.
Check out the other articles in Rick's series on philosophy and software testing:
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About the author
Rick Scott is a Canadian philosopher-geek who's profoundly interested in how we can collaborate to make technology work better for everyone. He's an incorrigible idealist, an open source contributor, and a staunch believer in testing, universal access, and the hacker ethic. When he's not in front of a computer, you'll find him out on the hiking trails, in the kitchen turning out cupcakes, or cleaning up his viola technique in the basement.
