Ian Mitroff on Heroic Inquiry February 23, 2021

Video of the Zoom Session delivered by Ian Mitroff

Ian Mitroff, one of the pioneers in the MSR field, will led a discussion on “Heroic Inquiry.” The History of Western Philosophy reveals time and again five primary modes of obtaining valid knowledge, indeed, what is “Valid.” They are:

1. Expert Consensus or Classical Empiricism;
2. Analytic Modeling or Classical Rationalism;
3. Multiple Models or Kantian Rationalism;
4. Dialectics or Hegelianism; and

Each of the modes of inquiry has profound implications for the research questions we ask, the “truth” we find, our methodology and where we publish. Ian focused primarily on Pragmatism’s concept of truth – defined as “Truth that Makes an Ethical Difference in the Quality of One’s Life,” and how this has implications for MSR and for AOM as a whole. He described how Pragmatism focuses on tackling the heroic and bold inquiry into ways of knowing that are being excluded by current methods of inquiry. He explored how academic systems such as tenure and publishing tend to obstruct the heroic and bold approaches to research.