Karl Popper
- Category : Humanities+Social-Sciences-Philosopher
- Type : GP
- Profile : 3/5 - Martyr / Heretic
- Definition : Single
- Incarnation Cross : RAX Unexpected 2
Biography
Austrian-British philosopher, considered one of the 20th century's greatest in science. Quite famously, Popper stressed the illegitimacy of traditional, inductivist models of science, and developed one he termed falsificationism. Popper thus claimed to have killed logical positivism, and in any event became an icon of the era postpositivism. Professor of Logic and Scientific Method at London School of Economics, Popper was knighted in 1965.
Rather infamously, Popper claimed to have solved the problem of induction—then that induction is a myth. Meanwhile, Popper developed what he identified as the first fully non justificatory epistemology—that is, a theory of knowledge abandoning the quest to justify belief before it can be knowledge—and termed it critical rationalism, which proceeds by conjectures and refutations. Throughout his public life, through books, articles, lectures, and debates, Popper tenaciously sought to disarm dogma whether in science or in society at large, and, writing extensively on social and political philosophy, vigorously defended liberal democracy and social criticism to foster an open society.
Together with his wife, Popper chose not to have children.
Popper won many awards and honours in his field.
He died 17 September 1994.