The Demarcation Problem: Karl Popper’s Solution in the Contemporary Retrospective
The article analyses post-Popperian debates about the problem of demarcation. The case is made that Karl Popper’s proposition to demarcate empirical science from the rest («metaphysics») on the basis of falsifiability as the criterion of empirical character of theories remains a tenable way of seei...
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| Language: | English |
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Academy of Cognitive and Natural Sciences
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Актуальні проблеми духовності |
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| Online Access: | https://journal.kdpu.edu.ua/apd/article/view/7730 |
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| author | Dmytro Sepetyi |
| author_facet | Dmytro Sepetyi |
| author_sort | Dmytro Sepetyi |
| collection | DOAJ |
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The article analyses post-Popperian debates about the problem of demarcation. The case is made that Karl Popper’s proposition to demarcate empirical science from the rest («metaphysics») on the basis of falsifiability as the criterion of empirical character of theories remains a tenable way of seeing the most valuable aspect of the character of the scientific enterprise. It is explained that for the falsifiability criterion to be adequate for the purpose, we should consider it, as Popper did, as two-aspect — involving the logical content of theories and the critical attitude of researchers. Although falsifiability, in this sense, is not sufficient to neatly demarcate science from non-science, it can be considered as the most important necessary condition, which can be supplemented by some further requirements, for an empirical hypothesis to count as part of the body of science. In particular, it is argued that Lee McIntyre’s proposition to see empirical science as a matter of what he calls «scientific attitude» perfectly fits with this falsifiability-based perspective. William Bartley’s and Harry Laudan’s deflationary approaches to the demarcation problem are criticised as failing to recognise the practical significance of distinguishing what is and what is not empirical science, and the necessity of some theoretical grounding (however imperfect) for practicing this distinction. The suggestions of Joseph Agassi, Imre Lakatos, and Thomas Kuhn purported at the improval of Popper’s demarcational proposition are discussed, and the author’s own proposition is advanced and explained. It is also pointed out that Popper’s remark that the distinctive feature of scientific theories is openness to criticism and modification in its light serves as the basis for a wider conception of science, without the qualification «empirical».
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-045f966bab784f92a55b5b58fa06372e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-7382 2522-4786 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Cognitive and Natural Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Актуальні проблеми духовності |
| spelling | doaj-art-045f966bab784f92a55b5b58fa06372e2025-08-20T02:43:53ZengAcademy of Cognitive and Natural SciencesАктуальні проблеми духовності2076-73822522-47862024-12-0125110.31812/apm.7730The Demarcation Problem: Karl Popper’s Solution in the Contemporary RetrospectiveDmytro Sepetyi0Zaporizhzhia State Medical University The article analyses post-Popperian debates about the problem of demarcation. The case is made that Karl Popper’s proposition to demarcate empirical science from the rest («metaphysics») on the basis of falsifiability as the criterion of empirical character of theories remains a tenable way of seeing the most valuable aspect of the character of the scientific enterprise. It is explained that for the falsifiability criterion to be adequate for the purpose, we should consider it, as Popper did, as two-aspect — involving the logical content of theories and the critical attitude of researchers. Although falsifiability, in this sense, is not sufficient to neatly demarcate science from non-science, it can be considered as the most important necessary condition, which can be supplemented by some further requirements, for an empirical hypothesis to count as part of the body of science. In particular, it is argued that Lee McIntyre’s proposition to see empirical science as a matter of what he calls «scientific attitude» perfectly fits with this falsifiability-based perspective. William Bartley’s and Harry Laudan’s deflationary approaches to the demarcation problem are criticised as failing to recognise the practical significance of distinguishing what is and what is not empirical science, and the necessity of some theoretical grounding (however imperfect) for practicing this distinction. The suggestions of Joseph Agassi, Imre Lakatos, and Thomas Kuhn purported at the improval of Popper’s demarcational proposition are discussed, and the author’s own proposition is advanced and explained. It is also pointed out that Popper’s remark that the distinctive feature of scientific theories is openness to criticism and modification in its light serves as the basis for a wider conception of science, without the qualification «empirical». https://journal.kdpu.edu.ua/apd/article/view/7730demarcationfalsificationscienceempiricalmetaphysicspseudoscience |
| spellingShingle | Dmytro Sepetyi The Demarcation Problem: Karl Popper’s Solution in the Contemporary Retrospective Актуальні проблеми духовності demarcation falsification science empirical metaphysics pseudoscience |
| title | The Demarcation Problem: Karl Popper’s Solution in the Contemporary Retrospective |
| title_full | The Demarcation Problem: Karl Popper’s Solution in the Contemporary Retrospective |
| title_fullStr | The Demarcation Problem: Karl Popper’s Solution in the Contemporary Retrospective |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Demarcation Problem: Karl Popper’s Solution in the Contemporary Retrospective |
| title_short | The Demarcation Problem: Karl Popper’s Solution in the Contemporary Retrospective |
| title_sort | demarcation problem karl popper s solution in the contemporary retrospective |
| topic | demarcation falsification science empirical metaphysics pseudoscience |
| url | https://journal.kdpu.edu.ua/apd/article/view/7730 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dmytrosepetyi thedemarcationproblemkarlpopperssolutioninthecontemporaryretrospective AT dmytrosepetyi demarcationproblemkarlpopperssolutioninthecontemporaryretrospective |