Critical Rationalism

A way of thinking, and even a way of living: a readiness to listen to critical arguments, to search for one's own mistakes, and to learn from them. (Karl Popper)

Critical rationalism holds that Knowledge grows through Conjecture and Criticism, not through induction, sensory derivation, or justification. No idea is immune to criticism; all knowledge is provisional and improvable.

Connections

• •Founded on Conjecture and Criticism as the engine of knowledge growth
• •Opposes Inductivism, Empiricism, Bayesian Epistemology, Foundationalism, and Justificationism
• •Corroboration replaces proof as the standard for theory evaluation
• •Animates dynamic societies and traditions of criticism
• •Error Correction is progress in action
• •Extends beyond science to Morality, Aesthetics, politics, and education
• •The Principle of Optimism follows from it — all problems are solvable
• •Hard to Vary explanations are the hallmark of good theories
• •The Epistemology of the Conjecture Institute glossary