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> We've carried Popper and a few other positivists Popper was not a positivist. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positivism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pos

> We've carried Popper and a few other positivists Popper was not a positivist. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positivism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positivism: However, the claim that Popper was a positivist is a common misunderstanding that Popper himself termed the "Popper legend."[57] In fact, he developed his beliefs in stark opposition to and as a criticism of positivism and held that scientific theories talk about how the world really is, not, as positivists claim, about phenomena or observations experienced by scientists.

woodruffw 8y ago
Popper might not have considered himself a capital-P positivist for metaphysical reasons (and because of his skepticism towards logical positivism in particular), but his general approach to the philosophy of science is both compatible with and is taught as an example of the school. There are all kinds of disagreements between Popper and the capital-P positivists (verification vs. falsification being the biggest one), but they don't preclude the inclusion of Popper in the broader positivist movement in the philosophy of science.
- akvadrako 8y ago
  Popper was very concerned with explaining the actual underlying reality and what criteria contribute to better explanations - things like being more rigid. To me that seems quite against the main idea of _p_ositivism. Popper even takes that stance that theory is prior to evidence - you start with the best explanation and even without new evidence or predictions, you move on to better explanations as they are discovered. Since you are making this claim against his own words and without being backed up by respected sources, in what sense is he a _p_ositivist?
- catawbasam 8y ago
  "Science must begin with myths, and with the criticism of myths; neither with the collection of observations, nor with the invention of experiments, but with the critical discussion of myths, and of magical techniques and practices. The scientific tradition is distinguished from the pre-scientific tradition in having two layers. Like the latter, it passes on its theories; but it also passes on a critical attitude towards them. The theories are passed on, not as dogmas, but rather with the challenge to discuss them and improve upon them." Karl Popper, 'Conjectures and Refutations'

woodruffw 8y ago

Popper might not have considered himself a capital-P positivist for metaphysical reasons (and because of his skepticism towards logical positivism in particular), but his general approach to the philosophy of science is both compatible with and is taught as an example of the school. There are all kinds of disagreements between Popper and the capital-P positivists (verification vs. falsification being the biggest one), but they don't preclude the inclusion of Popper in the broader positivist movement in the philosophy of science.

akvadrako 8y ago
Popper was very concerned with explaining the actual underlying reality and what criteria contribute to better explanations - things like being more rigid. To me that seems quite against the main idea of _p_ositivism. Popper even takes that stance that theory is prior to evidence - you start with the best explanation and even without new evidence or predictions, you move on to better explanations as they are discovered. Since you are making this claim against his own words and without being backed up by respected sources, in what sense is he a _p_ositivist?
catawbasam 8y ago
"Science must begin with myths, and with the criticism of myths; neither with the collection of observations, nor with the invention of experiments, but with the critical discussion of myths, and of magical techniques and practices. The scientific tradition is distinguished from the pre-scientific tradition in having two layers. Like the latter, it passes on its theories; but it also passes on a critical attitude towards them. The theories are passed on, not as dogmas, but rather with the challenge to discuss them and improve upon them." Karl Popper, 'Conjectures and Refutations'