Karl Popper
Austrian-British philosopher of science (1902 to 1994), professor at the London School of Economics; author of The Logic of Scientific Discovery and The Open Society and Its Enemies.
Karl Popper did not write this page. ppll compiled it from their own words, each linked to the source. Is this you? · Report a mistake
What they believe
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Confirmations are easy to find for nearly any theory if we look for them
It is easy to obtain confirmations, or verifications, for nearly every theory - if we look for confirmations.
books.google.comSaid c. 1963–1968This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These one: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 17 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
Recent
Confirmations are easy to find for nearly any theory if we look for them
It is easy to obtain confirmations, or verifications, for nearly every theory - if we look for confirmations.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
Confirmations should count only when they come from risky predictions
Confirmations should count only if they are the result of risky predictions
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
The more a scientific theory forbids, the better it is
The more a theory forbids, the better it is.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
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Being irrefutable is not a virtue in a theory but a vice
Irrefutability is not a virtue of a theory (as people often think) but a vice.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
Every genuine test of a theory is an attempt to refute it
Every genuine test of a theory is an attempt to falsify it, or to refute it. Testability is falsifiability
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
There are no ultimate sources of knowledge: every source is welcome, and every source is open to criticism
There are no ultimate sources of knowledge. Every source, every suggestion, is welcome; and every source, every suggestion, is open to critical examination.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
The more we learn about the world, the clearer our knowledge of our own ignorance becomes
The more we learn about the world, and the deeper our learning, the more conscious, specific, and articulate will be our knowledge of what we do not know, our knowledge of our ignorance.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
Observation is always selective
Observation is always selective.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
Rather than heaven on earth, we can make life a little less terrible and a little less unjust in each generation
What I believe we can do instead is to make life a little less terrible and a little less unjust in each generation.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
Work to eliminate concrete evils rather than to realize abstract goods
Work for the elimination of concrete evils rather than for the realization of abstract goods.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
Do not aim to bring about happiness by political means
Do not aim at establishing happiness by political means.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
The Utopian attitude is opposed to reasonableness
The Utopianist attitude, therefore, is opposed to the attitude of reasonableness.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
There is no scientific way of choosing between two ends
There is no scientific way of choosing between two ends.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
Rationality is the critical attitude: freely discussing theories to find their weak spots so they can be improved
The critical attitude, the tradition of free discussion of theories with the aim of discovering their weak spots so that they may be improved upon, is the attitude of reasonableness, of rationality.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
False theories often serve well enough: formulae known to be false can be excellent approximations
false theories often serve well enough: most formulae used in engineering or navigation are known to be false, although they may be excellent approximations and easy to handle
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
Public opinion is something everyone can influence, philosophers especially
And public opinion is a thing which all can influence, and especially philosophers.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
Rational discussion needs only a readiness to learn from one's partner in it
All that is needed is a readiness to learn from one's partner in the discussion
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics, 2002 edition) Said c. 1963–1968
What is a korrent?
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About the English under a post
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