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|Brief=an Austrian-British philosopher who is generally regarded as one of the most influential philosophers of science of the 20th century|Summary=Karl Popper's most important epistemological works were [[Popper (1959)|''The Logic of Scientific Discovery'']][[CiteRef::Popper (1959)]], which was originally published in German as ''Logic der Forschung'' in 1935, and [[Popper (1963)|''Conjectures and Refutations'']][[CiteRef::Popper (1963)]] published in 1963.[[CiteRef::Thornton (20152016)]] His work had three main objectives:
* To solve Hume's problem of induction as a limitation on human knowledge
* To allow theories to be objectively evaluated even before they were put to the test
* To formulate a critical method for science which proceeded through through cycles of conjecture, refutation, and correction of falsified theories.
Popper’s work directly opposed the positivist principle that inductive logic adequately separates empirical sciences from metaphysical and non-scientific knowledge. His critical rationalism stands as a unique variation from a lineage of competing interpretations of the mind’s limitations when attempting to prove the truth of general empirical claims, such as scientific theories. Popper’s approach focused on ascertaining criteria for a demarcation between science and non-science, and on debunking the opinion that science establishes truth beyond doubt. He defined a value for scientific progress beyond both the optimism of describing essences and realities hidden behind appearances, and the pessimism that relegates scientific discovery to instrumental, or heuristic utility.
Popper’s critical rationalism can be seen as a watershed of philosophical thought on the limits of empiricism, rationalism, and positivism, and an opening of the flood-gates for questioning and contemplation within nearly every branch of philosophy.
|Related Topics=Demarcation Criteria, Mechanism of Theory Acceptance, Method,
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