Review article

VERIFYING AND FALSYFING OF SCIENTIFIC THEORIES

Antonio Poljak ; Mostar

Abstract

Logical positivists plead for the application of verifying criteria in science
as principles which justify the statements of science and give sense to
scientific notions and statements. However, such principle questions not
only many philosophical terms but also natural-science terms. Principle
of verifying, connected with the method of induction, does not guarantee
necessity and generality of verified theory. Critical rationalism of Karl
Popper reminded us of the problem of justifying values of incomplete inductive
concluding and it pleads for the principle of refuting (falsifying)
scientific theories by deductively made singular statements. Possibility of
falsifying some theory is a criterion for determining boundaries between
scientific statements and unscientific attitudes of mathematics, logics and
metaphysics. With this paper the author tries to point to incompleteness
of both mentioned theories in the case when they pretend to exclusiveness
of their method, but also to their scientific importance, compatibility and
mutuality.

Keywords

logical positivism; principle of verification; method; induction; Popper; critical rationalism; deduction; falsification.

Hrčak ID:

230088

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/230088

Publication date:

15.12.2008.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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