The Logic of Modern Physics

In The Logic of Modern Physics (1927), Percy W. Bridgman proposed operationalism, a philosophy of science that defines scientific concepts through specific measurement and observation operations. This approach rejects the idea of an objective reality independent of observation. Bridgman, an experimental physicist known for his work with high pressures, developed this concept after noticing ambiguities in defining scientific ideas. Operationalism suggests that concepts are relative to the observer's frame of reference and that it's meaningless to interpret physical concepts outside of their observable, measurable context. This contrasts with earlier ideas of absolute space and time found in Newtonian physics.123