Suchergebnisse

The aim of the present paper is to analyze the conception of science of Popper resorting to the metaphor with the game of chess that he uses in his work The logic of scientific research. We consider that by means of this metaphor it is possible to perceive that its conception of science is not reduced to the logical criterion of falsifiability as many of its critics let us envisage, nor even to define methodological rules to guide the practice of science. But the philosopher himself in establishing such analogy makes it clear the existence os rules is what science has in common with the game of chess. In our view, these rules, as well as the scientific criterion, are not sufficient to define the scientific practice, since it involves other elements such as: values, objectives, scientific community and context in which the research is carried out. Popper assumes these elements in his metaphor, but does not make them explicit. It is only in later works such as Conjectures and Refutations and The Open Society and Its Enemies that they are clearly defined. We, therefore, intend to bring to light those elements involved in the game of science in Popper in order to give greater clarity to his conception of what science is.

"Sir Karl Popper was a major thinker of the twentieth century, one who - as Anthony O'Hear writes in his new Foreword - "has had a beneficent influence on those who have come under the spell of his thought and of the inimitable prose in which he articulates it". It is now 25 years since Popper died, and thus seems - after a quarter of a century - an apposite moment to revaluate his impact, significance and influence. The several chapters in this classic volume focus on many key elements of Popper's thought and philosophy. They are by no means uncritical, but afford Popper the respect due to a philosopher who wrote always with a degree of clarity, precision and directness rare in the academic world of his time, and - as O'Hear puts it - "even rarer subsequently". This important book constitutes an essential introduction to some the most esteemed philosophical writing of our times. Anthony O'Hear, OBE, is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Buckingham. He is an Honorary Director of the Royal Institute of Philosophy and Editor of the Institute's journal Philosophy"--

In September 2007, more than 100 philosophers came to Prague with the determination to approach Karl Popper's philosophy as a source of inspiration in many areas of our intellectual endeavor. This volume is a result of that effort. Topics cover Popper's views on rationality, scientific methodology, the evolution of knowledge and democracy, and since Popper's philosophy has always had a strong interdisciplinary influence, part of the volume discusses the impact of his ideas in such areas as education, economics, psychology, biology, or ethics. The concept of falsification, the problem of demarcation, the ban on induction, or the role of the empirical basis, along with the provocative parallels between historicism, holism and totalitarianism, have always caused controversies. The aim of this volume is not to smooth them but show them as a challenge. In this time when the traditional role of reason in the Western thought is being undermined, Popper's non-foundationist model of reason brings the Enlightenment message into a new perspective. Popper believed that the open society was vulnerable, due precisely to its tolerance of otherness. This is a matter of great urgency in the modern world, as cultures based on different values gain prominence. The processes related to the extending of the EU, or the increasing economic globalization also raise questions about openness and democracy. The volume's aim is to show the vitality of critical rationalism in addressing and responding to the problems of this time and this world.