Popper’s Unique Place in the Philosophy of Science
Karl Popper is the only philosopher discussed in this book who is regarded as a hero by many scientists. Attitudes toward philosophy among scientists vary, but hardly ever does a philosopher succeed in inspiring scientists in the way Popper has. It is also rare for a philosopher’s view of science to be used within a scientif i c debate to justify one position over another. This has happened with Popper too. Within biology, recent debates about the clas-sif i cation of organisms and about ecology have both seen Popper’s ideas used in this way (Hull 1999). I once went to a lecture by a famous virologist who had won a Nobel Prize in medicine, to hear about his work. What I heard was mostly a lecture about Popper. In 1965, Karl Popper even became Sir Karl Popper, knighted by the queen of England.
Popper’s appeal is not surprising. His view of science is centered around a couple of simple, clear, and striking ideas. His vision of the scientific enterprise is a noble and heroic one. Popper’s theory of science has been criticized a great deal by philosophers over the years. I agree with many of these criticisms and don’t see any way for Popper to escape their force. Despite the criticism, Popper’s views continue to have an important place in philosophy and continue to appeal to many working scientists.
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