Karl popper : how science grows

Popper

  • many systems have claimed to have true knowledge about the world

  • Eg religions, politics, tradition, common sense, science

  • What distinguishes scientific knowledge from o their forms of knowledge?

  • Why has scientific knowledge been able to grow?

Fallacy of induction

  • rejects positivism

  • We should reject verificationism

  • The fallacy [error] of induction - process of moving rom the observation of particular instances of something to arrive at a general statement or law

  • Swans example - if observing swans and all are white, we could say that “all swans are white” however, one non white swan will disprove the theory

Falsification

  • opposite of verificationism

  • It is capable to be proven wrong by evidence when put to the test

  • 2 features

    1. Principle falsifiable but when tested, it stands up to attempt to disprove it

    2. It is bold - makes big generalisations so is at greater risk of being falsified

Truth

  • provisional, temporary, capable of refutation at any moment

Criticism and open society

  • must be open to criticism

  • Science is a public activity