What is the history of philosophy of experimentation a history of? The cases of Hugo Dingler and Gaston Bachelard

Though ‘experimentation’ as a philosophical topic is typically seen as a product of the 1980s, reflections on experimentation have a longer history. This longer history can be read as a hotbed of different ways in which the aim of philosophy of science was understood. This article illustrates this through an examination of Hugo Dingler and Gaston Bachelard, embodying different conceptions of what philosophy of science should aim for, and how reflecting on experimentation is part of that project. Therefore, to understand the history of philosophy of experimentation, we need to write a history of the aims of philosophy of science.