EconlibThe LibraryOther Sites |
Front Page  Titles (by Subject) Popperian Growth of Knowledge - Literature of Liberty, January/March 1979, vol. 2, No. 1
Return to Title Page for Literature of Liberty, January/March 1979, vol. 2, No. 1The Online Library of LibertyA project of Liberty Fund, Inc.Search this Title:Also in the Library:
Popperian Growth of Knowledge - Leonard P. Liggio, Literature of Liberty, January/March 1979, vol. 2, No. 1 [1979]Edition used:Literature of Liberty: A Review of Contemporary Liberal Thought was published first by the Cato Institute (1978-1979) and later by the Institute for Humane Studies (1980-1982) under the editorial direction of Leonard P. Liggio.
Part of: Literature of Liberty: A Review of Contemporary Liberal Thought, 20 vols. 19781-982
About Liberty Fund:Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals. Copyright information:This work is copyrighted by the Institute for Humane Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, and is put online with their permission. Fair use statement:This material is put online to further the educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. Unless otherwise stated in the Copyright Information section above, this material may be used freely for educational and academic purposes. It may not be used in any way for profit.
Popperian Growth of Knowledge
“Traditional Rationality vs. a Tradition of Criticism: A Criticism of Popper's Theory of the Objectivity of Science.” Erkenntnis (Holland), 12 (1978): 329–338. Karl Popper's theory of the objectivity of science is ambiguous. Does it guarantee correct evaluations of theories or only help uncover errors in such evaluations? The second alternative seems to flow from Popper's fallibilism and learning theory, but this leads to weaknesses in a fallibilist theory of scientific progress. Popper's theory of science sees science progressing through criticism. Scientists do not discover “true” theories, but they do form theories what enable them to get progressively closer to the truth. Because objectivity in science cannot be guaranteed by knowing the truth of its theories, Popper forms a theory of scientific objectivity that differs from traditional accounts. Science, for Popper, is objective because one scientist can replicate the theories and experiments of another scientist, and thus uncover error. Thus, although individual scientists cannot be objective, the scientific community can be objective and progress in knowledge through mutual criticism and discovery of mistakes. Popper also believes that this collective sifting process (through mutual discovery of mistakes and evaluation of theories) maintains the unity and rationality of science. Popper's theory displays weaknesses. If his theory of objectivity means providing a guarantee (that the scientific community will correctly evaluate theories through criticism), it is inconsistent with his fallibilist theory of learning. If, on the other hand, his theory of objectivity shares his fallibilist views, he may have a theory of scientific objectivity but he needs to reconsider his theory of scientific method as well as of scientific unity and rationality. |
