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Single Idea 18284
[filed under theme 14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 6. Falsification
]
Full Idea
Whereas particular reality statements are in principle completely verifiable or falsifiable, things are different for general reality statements: they can indeed be conclusively falsified, they can acquire a negative truth value, but not a positive one.
Gist of Idea
Particulars can be verified or falsified, but general statements can only be falsified (conclusively)
Source
Karl Popper (Two Problems of Epistemology [1932], p.256), quoted by J. Alberto Coffa - The Semantic Tradition from Kant to Carnap 18 'Laws'
Book Ref
Coffa,J.Alberto: 'The Semantic Tradition from Kant to Carnap' [CUP 1993], p.345
A Reaction
This sounds like a logician's approach to science, but I prefer to look at coherence, where very little is actually conclusive, and one tinkers with the theory instead.
The
16 ideas
from Karl Popper
12176
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Science does not aim at ultimate explanations
[Popper]
|
12175
|
Galilean science aimed at true essences, as the ultimate explanations
[Popper]
|
12179
|
Essentialist views of science prevent further questions from being raised
[Popper]
|
12177
|
Human artefacts may have essences, in their purposes
[Popper]
|
7780
|
Falsification is the criterion of demarcation between science and non-science
[Popper, by Magee]
|
16830
|
We don't only reject hypotheses because we have falsified them
[Lipton on Popper]
|
6794
|
If falsification requires logical inconsistency, then probabilistic statements can't be falsified
[Bird on Popper]
|
6795
|
When Popper gets in difficulties, he quietly uses induction to help out
[Bird on Popper]
|
3856
|
Good theories have empirical content, explain a lot, and are not falsified
[Popper, by Newton-Smith]
|
3860
|
Science cannot be shown to be rational if induction is rejected
[Newton-Smith on Popper]
|
22188
|
Give Nobel Prizes for really good refutations?
[Gorham on Popper]
|
7779
|
There is no such thing as induction
[Popper, by Magee]
|
22358
|
Scientific objectivity lies in inter-subjective testing
[Popper]
|
5451
|
Popper felt that ancient essentialism was a bar to progress
[Popper, by Mautner]
|
18284
|
Particulars can be verified or falsified, but general statements can only be falsified (conclusively)
[Popper]
|
11946
|
Propensities are part of a situation, not part of the objects
[Popper]
|