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Karl Popper was born July 28, 1902.
Karl Popper was born on July 28, 1902 in Vienna, AT. His father was a lawyer by profession, but he also took a keen interest in the classics and in philosophy, and communicated. His mother inculcated in him such a passion for music that for a time he contemplated taking it up as a career. Thornton, Stephen, "Karl Popper", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entries/popper/. Accessed 11 Nov 2021. -
Karl Popper married Josephine Anna Henninger
Josephine Anna Henninger (“Hennie”) also served as Karl's amanuensis until her death in 1985. At an early stage of their marriage they decided that they would never have children. In 1937 he took up a position teaching philosophy at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Thornton, Stephen, "Karl Popper", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entries/popper/. Accessed 11 Nov 2021. -
Immutable Laws and Contingent Trends
Popper discerns the failure of the historicist ability distinguish between scientific laws and trends. Laws are universal as trends can only quantitate to a singular statement. Therefore, trends aren’t reliable tools to predict the future. Thornton, Stephen, "Karl Popper", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entries/popper/. Accessed 11 Nov 2021. -
The Logic of Scientific Discovery
Popper develops a technical concept which can serve as empirical falsification. The concept is a basic statement. The premise of basic statements can contradict universal statements and play the role as potential falsifiers. Thus, basic statements create objectivity to expand knowledge. Thornton, Stephen, "Karl Popper", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entries/popper/. Accessed 11 Nov 2021. -
Falsifiability
Popper concedes the fact that in practice singular conflicting or counter-instance in a theory/study isn’t solid enough to use falsification. However, popper was still advocating a need for falsifiability as criteria for science. Thornton, Stephen, "Karl Popper", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entries/popper/. Accessed 11 Nov 2021. -
Objective Knowledge
While insisting of scientific objectivity popper refutes psychologistic approach. Stating that approach would lead to skepticism and confusion. Therefore, popper developed the “Three World Ontology”, which seeks to free from psychological constraints. Thornton, Stephen, "Karl Popper", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entries/popper/. Accessed 11 Nov 2021. -
Critical Evaluation
Popper took criticism of his theories very seriously, and spent his later years in addressing them. For example, methodology of falsification. While being outrageously difficult to refute scientific laws he expanded on saying overall, the acceptance or rejection depends on scientific community. Thornton, Stephen, "Karl Popper", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entries/popper/. Accessed 11 Nov 2021. -
Karl Popper's Death.
Popper was knighted in 1965, and retired from the University of London in 1969, remaining active as a writer, broadcaster and lecturer until his death in 1994 Thornton, Stephen, "Karl Popper", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entries/popper/. Accessed 11 Nov 2021.