välineellisyys

Välineellisyys, or instrumentalism, denotes a stance whereby theories, concepts, models, or practices are judged mainly by their usefulness as tools for predicting, explaining, or controlling experience, rather than by whether they reveal the true nature of reality. The emphasis is on practical outcomes, instrumental success, and repeatable results.

In the philosophy of science, instrumentalism contrasts with scientific realism. Theories are seen as instruments for organizing observations and predicting phenomena; their truth conditions are less important than their efficacy in guiding action. This view is associated with pragmatist traditions and has been used to interpret scientific theories as valuable tools, even when the status of unobservable entities remains ontologically unsettled. For example, Newtonian mechanics serves effectively in engineering, even if space and time are not claimed as ultimate reality.

In other domains such as ethics, political theory, and technology, instrumentalism can mean treating methods or institutions mainly as means to achieve desired ends. While it promotes efficiency and problem-solving, critics argue it can undervalue intrinsic qualities, overlook normative questions, and instrumentalize people or knowledge.

Variants range from moderate instrumentalism, which confines instrumentality to practical usefulness, to stronger forms that deny a substantive description of reality altogether. Related terms include instrumental value versus intrinsic value, and pragmatism.