From “methodological essentialism” to totalitarianism: unfinished dispute Karl Popper with Platon. Nature of the scientific method

2020 ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Vyacheslav Zhukov
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Method ◽  
Karl Popper

Looking for Black Swans

Symposion ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-77
Author(s):  
Michael F. Duggan ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Method ◽  
Open Systems ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Karl Popper ◽  
Historical Knowledge ◽  
Historical Method ◽  
Black Swans ◽  
Discrete Step ◽  
Better Than

This article examines the basis for testing historical claims and proffers the observation that the historical method is akin to the scientific method in that it utilizes critical elimination rather than justification. Building on the critical rationalism of Karl Popper – and specifically the deductive component of the scientific method called falsification – I examine his tetradic schema and adapt it for the specific purpose of historical analysis by making explicit a discrete step of critical testing, even though the schema is adequate as Popper expresses it and the elimination of error occurs at all steps of analysis. I also add a discrete step of critical elimination to Popper’s schema even though the elimination of error occurs at every step of analysis. The basis for critical elimination history is the demonstrable counterexample. The study of history will never approach the precision of science – history deals with open systems that cannot be replicated like experiments guided by fundamental laws. But just because we cannot know something with the rigor of science does not mean that we cannon know it better than we do. There may be no objective truth in an absolute sense, but there is a distinction to be made between well-tested and poorly tested theories and therefore between history done well and history done with less analytical rigor. What I hope to show is how our historical knowledge may progress through good faith critical discussion – history is discussion – and the elimination of error.

: Visions of Freedom

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noël O’Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Method ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Human Freedom ◽  
Karl Popper ◽  
Michael Oakeshott ◽  
Genuine Knowledge ◽  
The Human Condition

This chapter considers four of the most influential visions that characterized the response to totalitarianism, and in particular the various concepts of limit they provide, since those are the basis of the opposition which each vision sought to oppose to the totalitarian ideal. The first vision is the positivist one of Karl Popper, for whom the logic of scientific method offers the only genuine knowledge of man and society. The second great vision is that of Berlin, who abandons positivism and instead presents the human condition in tragic terms, on the grounds that it is intrinsically characterized by a plurality of incommensurable and conflicting values. A third vision situates positivism in a naturalistic portrait of the human condition. Finally, there is the ‘civil’ vision of Michael Oakeshott, which is ultimately grounded in a radical, anti-reductionist conception of human freedom.

The Scientific Hypothesis Today

2019 ◽  
pp. 31-60
Author(s):  
Bradley E. Alger
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Method ◽  
Karl Popper ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Critical Rationalism ◽  
Multiple Hypotheses ◽  
Scientific Hypothesis ◽  
Strong Inference ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Good Hypothesis

Chapter 2 begins by reviewing the concept of the Scientific Method, as well as many outdated definitions of “hypothesis.” The discussion leads to the modern definition of the hypothesis as a conjectural explanation for a phenomenon; it is testable and falsifiable. The hypothesis serves as a blueprint and a summary of an investigation. Certain criticisms of the hypothesis and hypothesis-driven research are based on the older definitions of the term, and the book returns to them later. This chapter identifies and defines, with simple, nontechnical examples, concepts associated with the hypothesis, such as prediction and direct and indirect measurements. The philosophical programs of Karl Popper and John Platt, Critical Rationalism and Strong Inference, respectively, form a major focus of the chapter. The chapter explores the complexities of the concepts of falsification and corroboration and the importance of having multiple hypotheses. The chapter introduces the idea of the implicit hypothesis and ends with the presentation and discussion of key features of a good hypothesis.

scholarly journals Verifiability and Falsifiability as Parameters for Scientific Methodology

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Sandhya Shankar
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Method ◽  
Scientific Methodology ◽  
Karl Popper ◽  
Human Knowledge ◽  
Sense Experience ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
The World ◽  
The Mind

The question of „how do we come to know‟ has been the search of mankind since time immemorial. Neither has there been a consensus for that question nor there will be. Many a great minds have looked into this, coming up with various perspectives. Two such varying perspectives in this field are empiricism and rationalism. While the former emphasizes that experience (through senses) is the only source of knowledge the latter upholds that there is something beyond the sense experience, the mind that is the source of knowledge. The shift towards a scientific phase from that of the earlier theological and metaphysical phase gained popularity with positivism, where progress of human knowledge was considered in identifying truths through scientific methods. In this scientific journey towards knowing the world emphasis was on empirically observable things. It was believed that there are no ideas which come into our head without being dependent on our perceptions, thereby on our experience. The basis of classical science was considered getting empirical observations. It had to be a systematic way of studying what is out there. Purpose of science was considered to be limited to things which can be observed, thus being connected to a means of being verified. This paper thus looks into the notion of verifiability as an important parameter of scientific methodology and its importance as asserted by logical positivists. But this criteria of scientific method was challenged by another criteria, that of falsifiability. The next section will look into falsifiability as another parameter of scientific methodology. Since these parameters have been discussed widely among philosophers, this paper shall be focusing on the views of A. J. Ayer and Sir Karl Popper regarding the same. Furthermore, its application and relevance to the field of linguistics will also be discussed.

Comment On D. Wade Hands, “Karl Popper and Economic Methodology: A New Look”

1985 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 286-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Blaug
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Scientific Method ◽  
Economic Methodology ◽  
Situational Analysis ◽  
Karl Popper ◽  
Interesting Paper ◽  
The Social ◽  
Unique Method ◽  
Central Argument ◽  
The One

The central argument of this interesting paper is that Popper appears to be inconsistent: on the one hand, he preaches methodological monism-scientific method in the social sciences is identical to scientific method in the natural sciences-and on the other hand he advocates “situational analysis” as the unique method of the social sciences. Situational analysis is nothing but our old neoclassical friend, the rationality principle-individual maximizing behavior subject to constraints-and thus, Popper seems to be saying, neoclassical economics is the only valid kind of social science.

scholarly journals Karl Popper 120th anniversary; Some reflections on the decision-making process in medicine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisha Krasin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Medical Diagnosis ◽  
Scientific Method ◽  
Scientific Discovery ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Karl Popper ◽  
Relative Truth ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
120Th Anniversary

Rereading Popper’s “The Logic of scientific discovery”, at his 120th anniversary, brings some thoughts regarding the diagnostic process and decision making in medicine from the viewpoint of the classical scientific method. In recent years physicians are increasingly becoming technical experts who base their decision-making on uniform criteria, guidelines and classifications but unfortunately have moved away from understanding the basic concepts in the philosophy of science. This raises an ethically and philosophically important issue; what does a medical diagnosis mean? Is this an absolute or a relative truth? The implications of this question are enormous in terms of prognosis and treatment. Both patients and physicians should be educated about the nature of the diagnostic process.

scholarly journals Interview: Joseph Agassi

2016 ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Mauro L. Condé ◽  
Raffaele Pisano ◽  
Michael Segre
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Method ◽  
Karl Popper ◽  
The World ◽  
Historiography Of Science

Joseph Agassi is an Israeli scholar born in Jerusalem on May 7, 1927. He has many books and articles published contributing to the fields of logic, scientific method, foundations of sciences, epistemology and, most importantly for this Journal, in the historiography of science. He studied with Karl Popper, who was definitely his biggest influence. He taught around the world in different universities. He currently lives in Herzliya, Israel. For his important contribution to the historiography of science, we chose to open the first issue of this journal with this interview recognizing his importance for the field, as well as paying our homage to him.

AI and Neuroeconomics

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-48
Author(s):  
Ernesto D'Avanzo
Keyword(s):  
Computational Neuroscience ◽  
Scientific Method ◽  
Body Problem ◽  
Francis Bacon ◽  
Karl Popper ◽  
Interesting Aspect ◽  
Probability Calculation ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Lord Chancellor

This article describes how Plato proposed the dualistic solution to the mind-body problem, providing an explanation along the lines of his epistemology. Francis Bacon, in 1600, formulated his vision of the scientific method that will be valid until the 1960's when Karl Popper proposed his version, entering into controversy with the Lord Chancellor. Thanks to recent developments in artificial intelligence and computational neuroscience these problems have new empirical tools to be analyzed. An interesting aspect of this research program, better known as neuroeconomics, is the use it makes of the probability calculation tool for dealing with so-called decisions under uncertainty. The paper is an attempt to tell the birth, development, and some examples of these toolboxes, available to all those who want to apply them to improve knowledge inspired organizations.

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