Essay on Karl Popper and Falsifiability - 1354 Words

Karl 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 situations that falsify or negate the hypothesis. Finally, after rigorous attempts have been made to find the hypothesis untrue, the scientist may tentatively accept the hypothesis as true. However, if the hypothesis is found untrue, the scientist must†¦show more content†¦In these same experiments, he isolated and used light from Venus he had collected and dramatically increased the distance over which he refracted the light. Further examples of his imaginative hypotheses can be seen in his alchemy work (Westfall, 1980). While still in the hypothesis stage, the scientist should add some deductive reasoning to his imaginative hypothesis. Copernicus leads the way as he chooses to refine some of Aristotles ideas of motion in the heavens to support his heliocentric theory. Newton exemplifies this requirement while working on separating the spectrum. He realized that he should dramatically increase the distance from the prism to the screen and used the length of his bedroom (Westfall,1980). Additionally, a good hypothesis will be specific in what it attempts to elucidate, as this will increase its chances of being falsified. Copernicuss heliotrophic proposal of the solar system was just that. Copernicus had put the theory together and tested it to the best of his knowledge long before he released it to the educated public. By restricting his hypothesis to the motion of the Earth, he eliminated many possible avenues of refutation. For example, if he had said the universe was infinite, then certainly the su n could not have been at the center. He also removed the traditional arguments to the earths movement; Copernicus assigned the Earth aShow 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 MoreAlfred Jules Ayers Language, Truth and Logic, the Major Thesis on Logical Positivism of its Time982 Words   |  4 Pagesmeaningless statements had no truth in value, and that itself made it a waste of time to debate them. Karl Popper did not like the requirement that meaningful sentences be verifiable, stating the positivists’ criterion of verifiability was too strong a criterion for science, and proposed that they be replaced by a criterion of falsifiability (Karl Popper). Popper believed that falsifiability was a better criterion because it did not invite the philosophical problems inherent in verifying inductionRead MoreScience : Conjectures And Refutations By Karl R. Popper963 Words   |  4 PagesScience: Conjectures and Refutations by Karl R. 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As seen in Popper’s falsification theory, he held that theories can never be proved only disproved or falsified. Once a theory is proved false we move on to the next. Kuhn, on the other, hand argued a new paradigm may solve puzzles better than the old one but you cannot describe the old science as false. Both seem to share the Kantian idea that the really real, independently existing world is completely unknowable. Read MoreTheories And Theories Of The Calms Made By Alan Chalmers907 Words   |  4 PagesChalmers, discussing his inductive views of the scientific method stating that â€Å"Scientific knowledge is proven knowledge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and that â€Å"†¦Scientific knowledge is reliable knowledge because it is objectively proven knowledge.† I will also be discussing Karl Popper’s opposing views on the scientific method, siding with his falsification method. I think that even though both sides are rational, Alan Chalmers clams are more practical and better for humans to continue to investigate new theories and lawsRead More Popper and Kuhn: Two Views of Science Essay1449 Words   |  6 PagesPopper and Kuhn: Two Views of Science In this essay I attempt to answer the following two questions: What is Karl Popper’s view of science? Do I feel that Thomas Kuhn makes important points against it? The two articles that I make reference to are Science: Conjectures and Refutations by Karl Popper and Logic of Discovery or Psychology of Research? by Thomas Kuhn. In the article, Science: Conjectures and Refutations, Karl Popper attempts to describe the criteria that a theory must meetRead MoreThe Logic Of Scientific Discovery2172 Words   |  9 Pagesat the University of London, Karl Popper translated his own original version of The Logic of Scientific Discovery, which was originally called Logik der Forschung, to English (Stuermann). 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