![]() Even at the time there were concerns his criterion wasn’t up to the job, but Popper remained convinced that looking for falsifiable consequences was the essence of doing science. Popper went on to promote falsification as the essence of the scientific process, with the search for falsifiable predictions being the distinguishing feature between science and pseudoscience. This is the unique power of falsification: the ability to disprove a universal statement with just a single example – an ability, Popper pointed out, that flows directly from the theorems of deductive logic. In contrast, finding one solitary black swan guarantees that the theory is false. So you can never prove the theory is true. No matter how many white swans you find, you can never be sure there isn’t a black swan lurking somewhere. The obvious way to prove the theory is to check that every swan really is white – but there’s a problem. Suppose a theory proposes that all swans are white. Popper illustrated this through the now-celebrated parable of the black swan. ![]() ![]() ![]() Much of his appeal rests on the clear-cut logic that seems to underpin the concept of falsifiability. Karl Popper was an Austrian philosopher, considered one of the most influential of his time.įor many scientists, Popper remains the only philosopher with any relevance to what they do. The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable Kindle Edition by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Author) Format: Kindle Edition 2,792 ratings See all formats and editions Audiobook 0.00 Free with your Audible trial Hardcover 47.97 10 Used from 30.97 7 New from 45. ![]()
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