Karl Popper

Karl Popper: A Critical Rationalist

Background

• Born in Vienna, Austria on July 28, 1902.
• Studied at the University of Vienna, earning a doctorate in philosophy in 1928.
• Taught philosophy at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand from 1937 to 1945.
• Became a professor at the London School of Economics in 1949, where he remained until his retirement in 1969.
• Died on September 17, 1994 in London, England.

Philosophical Contributions

• Known for his philosophy of science, particularly his theory of falsificationism.
• Argued that scientific theories should be tested through experimentation and observation, and that they should be rejected if they are found to be false.
• Also developed a theory of social and political philosophy, which he called "critical rationalism."
• Believed that society should be organized on the basis of reason and critical thinking, rather than on tradition or authority.

Major Works

• The Logic of Scientific Discovery (1934)
• The Open Society and Its Enemies (1945)
• Conjectures and Refutations (1963)
• Objective Knowledge: An Evolutionary Approach (1972)
• Unended Quest: An Intellectual Autobiography (1976)

Legacy

• Considered one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century.
• His work has had a major impact on the fields of science, philosophy, and politics.
• His ideas have been used to justify everything from the free market to the welfare state.

Celebrity

• Popper was a public intellectual who was often in the news and on television.
• He was also a popular lecturer and speaker.
• His books have been translated into dozens of languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide.

English Language

• Popper wrote all of his major works in English.
• He was a master of the English language and his writing is clear, concise, and engaging.
• His work has been praised for its literary as well as its philosophical merits.