Popper states in Knowledge Without Authority (1960): The empirist’s questions “How do I know? What is the source of your assertion?” are wrongly put. They are questions which beg for an authoritarian answer. I propose to replace, therefore, the question of the sources of our knowledge by the entirely different question: “How can we hope […]

Continuing from the preceding post we are led to classify science as follows: Science: Basic assumptions directly falsifiable. Quasi-Science: Basic assumptions not directly falsifiable, but certain consequences of the basic assumptions falsifiable. Pseudo-Science: Basic assumptions not directly falsifiable, nor any consequence of the basic assumptions. Examples: Solid Mechanics based on Navier’s equations expressing equilibrium of […]

According to Popper, a theory is scientific if and only if it is falsifiable in the sense that there is some prediction of the theory, which can be tested or compared with reality and thus be falsified if it comes out negative. According to Popper a scientific theory can never be verified, only be made […]