Popper's views on natural and social science / / by Colin Simkin.

• VerfasserIn: Simkin, Colin,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden : : BRILL,, 1993.
• Year of Publication: 1993
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Brill's Studies in Epistemology, Psychology and Psychiatry Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (viii, 207 pages) :; illustrations.

This book offers a straightforward account of Sir Karl Popper's views on scientific methodology ranging from Logik der Forschung in 1934 to A World of Propensities in 1990. Part I covers his treatment of the interrelations between metaphysics and science, the fallacies of induction, the method of conjectures and refutations, evolutionary epistemology, the propensity theory of probability, and the interpretation of quantum mechanics. Part II considers the problems of the social sciences, his critiques of historicism and holistic planning, his defence of piecemeal planning on both scientific and humanist grounds, his method of situational logic based on models that use a 'rationality principle', and the roles of institutions, traditions and history. The book is addressed to those who are interested in general problems of scientific method but find it difficult to get a clear or connected view of Popper's important contributions because these have been published over long intervals and have been subject to misinterpretations.

Table of Contents

Introduction -- PART ONE. GENERAL METHODOLOGY. 1. Metaphysics and Science -- 2. Growth of Knowledge -- 3. Deductive Knowledge -- 4. Justification -- 5. Pragmatism -- 6. Inductive Probability -- 7. The Conjectural Method -- 8. Objectivity and Truth -- 9. Causal Laws Probabilistic Laws and Models -- 10. A World of Propensities -- 11. Metaphysical Research Programmes -- 12. Evolutionary Epistemology -- 13. A Case for Indeterminism -- 14. Critique of Historicist Views -- PART Two APPLICATIONS TO SOCIAL SCIENCE. 1. Critique of Historicist Views -- 2. Holistic Planning -- 3. Situational Logic -- 4. Piecemeal Planning -- 5. Individualism -- 6. Models and Individualism -- 7. Institutions and Traditions -- 8. An Application to Economics -- 9. Critical Economists -- 10. Relevance to Economics -- Conclusion -- Appendixes.