Scientific Method and Sir Karl Popper - 1407 Words

Sir Karl Popper, challenging the status quo, inspiring generations to ponder on the meaning of science, the methods to find truth, is one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. Of particular importance to scientific methods of inquiry is the brawl between the development of theory and the criteria for science. In Popper’s own words, it is in this brawl that Popper decided to â€Å"grapple with the problem: When should a theory be ranked as scientific? or Is there a criterion for the scientific character or status of a theory?† (Popper 1957), p. 1). Born just after the turn of the century in 1902 (my Great Aunt was 4 at the time), in London, England, Popper began grappling with the brawl between â€Å"when is theory scientific†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦The use of empirical methods and inductive explanations is the root cause for Popper’s revolt upon the metaphysical reasoning used to explain social behavior (at this time). It is not that astrology is a pseudo-science; astrology is merely a residue of the subject of the investigation (Popper 1952). Disciplines are means of administratively distinguishing the unified systems from which problems may be taught. It is far more important to understanding falsification that â€Å"We are not students of a subject matter but students of problems† (Popper 1952)p. 125). Traditionally, scientists formed hypotheses to explain or rationalize some natural phoneme that they have observed. Popper intends that a hypothesis must predict a phenomenon or behavior and not just offer to explain it. â€Å"I believe that there is not a classic of science, or of mathematics, or indeed a book worth reading that could not be shown, by a skillful application of the technique of language analysis, to be full of meaningless pseudo-propositions† (Popper 1952), p. 130). Popper is positive that each hypothesis has a possible contradiction. This â€Å"sensitiveness to problems† to the extent of having a â€Å"consuming passion for them† fortifies Popper’s revolt against merely accepting plausible and rationalized results of observations. For falsification to take place, the scientist must identify situations that falsify or negate the hypothesis. Finally,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Karl Poppers Falsifiability983 Words   |  4 PagesKarl Poppers Falsifiability Sir Karl Poppers lecture was very thought provoking concerning where to draw the line. Unlike most people, the validity of the theory was not his concern as much as how that validity is determined. This is an issue that really does not get the attention that it deserves. Poppers claims concerning, When should a theory be ranked as scientific? and Is there a criterion for the scientific character or status of a theory? seems to be put together in the followingRead MoreEssay on Karl Popper and Falsifiability1354 Words   |  6 PagesKarl Popper and Falsifiability Karl Poppers claim that the criterion of the scientific status of a theory is its falsifiability is a clearly viable statement. This is a natural extension of his idea about how scientific knowledge is increased (Edwards, 1967). In an attempt to define science from pseudo-science, Popper states that the growth of scientific knowledge begins with an imaginative proposal of hypotheses (Edwards, 1967). Then, the scientist must search for illustrations or situationsRead More Scientific Method Essay888 Words   |  4 PagesScientific Method Thales of Miletus (624-546 B.C.) was the first to suggest a single material substratum for the universe--namely water or moisture. His cosmology proposes that all objects in the universe are composed of water. His choice of water as the component building block of all matter may have been due to the apparent motion of bodies of water and the conversion of water to vapor and back. Anaximander of Miletus (610-545 B.C.) was the foremost student of Thales. He denied Thales claimRead MorePsychology And The Theory Of Psychology999 Words   |  4 Pagesshare similar procedures and values known as the empirical method (Vickers). Psychology is theory driven, seeks evidence, multi-leveled, and contextual, unlike philosophy which relies heavily on unproven beliefs, psychology aims to discover scientific information. Psychologists approach ideas using the scientific method based on Sir Francis Bacon’s emphasis on minimizing bias (Wiley 29). They create hypotheses which according to Karl Popper must establish observations that could be refutable (30).Read More Biology, Pragmatism and Contradiction Essay3857 Words   |  16 Pagesas the main philosophical method these clues would be sufficient. According to Maturana, logical contradictions are not serious mistakes because they are supposed to be prompt and plentifully solved. In contrast, emotional contradictions would be really dangerous, because they occur as an opposition between our doing and our desire, generating suffering and immobility. Nevertheless, it seems that he accepts the logical method as a philosophical and argumentative method because he uses logical principlesRead MoreNature Science6230 Words   |  25 PagesHampshire, Durham, N.H. Cover image: A basalt dike cuts through rocks of Permain age on Wasp Head, NSW Australia. Photo by Gary B. Lewis. Table of Contents What is Science? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Scientiï ¬ c Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Observation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Hypothesis . .Read MoreIntroduction to Forensic Investigations2352 Words   |  10 Pagesbelieve that there are no fingerprints that are the same. Until two fingerprints are found that are indeed identical in shape and pattern then this belief cannot be falsified. Sir Karl Popper was a famous philosopher who wrote, that any theory that could not be falsified and tested to be `wrong`, could not possibly be a â€Å"scientific† experiment. The fact that Locard’s Principle explains that `every contact leaves a trace`, would surely mean that the exchange takes place between all the objects in contactRead MoreHerbert Spencer Essay13142 Words   |  53 Pagesas history. Spencer initially followed up the scientific interests encouraged by his father and studied engineering. For a few years, until 1841, he practiced the profession of civil engineer as an employee of the London and Birmingham Railway. His interest in evolution is said to have arisen from the examination of fossils that came from the rail-road cuts. Spencer left the railroad to take up a literary career and to follow up some of his scientific interests. He began by contributing to The Non-ConformistRead Morehistory of philosophy5031 Words   |  21 Pagesspend long periods in discussions on popular philosophical questions. Students of Sophists needed to acquire the skills of oration in order to influence the Athenian Assembly and thereby increase respect and wealth. In response, the subjects and methods of debate became highly developed by the Sophists. The key figure in transforming Greek philosophy into a unified and continuous project - one still being pursued today - is  Socrates, who studied under several Sophists. It is said that followingRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesExplanations ........................................................................................ 483 Assessing Alternative Explanations ................................................................................................ 488 The Scientific Method ........................................................................................................................ 490 Some Case Studies .................................................................................................