Popper

Sir Karl Popper (1902-1994)

By andy2296

  • Birth

    Birth
    Karl Raimund Popper is born in Vienna, Austria. His father, a lawyer and appreciator of philosophy, and his mother, a lover of music, were both of Jewish origin, both fueled and nurtured his lifelong pursuit of understanding the world around him.
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    Sir Karl Popper (1902-1994)

    Karl Popper (28 July 1902) was a scientific philosopher who is regarded as one of the best to have come out of the 20th century. His most notable contribution to science, philosophy, and the way we view the scientific process is known as falsification. This asserts that we make observations with preconceived notions, whether we realize it or not. In his falsification theory, Popper suggested that hard science aims to disprove (or "falsify") whereas pseudo-science aims to confirm.

  • Inspiration

    Inspiration
    After an unsuccessful attempt at enrolling in the University of Vienna, Popper discovers the work of Sigmund Freud and hears a lecture by Albert Einstein on relativity theory. Popper resonated with Einstein's critical spirit and noticed a lack thereof in Freud. This seemed fundamentally important and he deduced that early psychoanalysts sought to confirm their theories whereas scientists like Einstein proposed theories that were testable and, if proven false, would falsify the theory itself.

  • Writing and Sociopolitical/Scientific Philosophy

    While working as a professor at the University of London, Popper would publish a number of written works over various topics. The Open Society and Its Enemies (1945) served as a critical narrative of totalitarianism.
    The Logic of Scientific Discovery (1959) became his most notable written work and is seen as pioneering classic of his field.

  • Science and Pseudoscience

    The link below is a brief video that details Popper's work and theories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X8Xfl0JdTQ

  • Recognition

    For his contributions to the philosophical and scientific world, Sir Karl Popper was knighted.

  • Retirement

    Popper retires from the University of London. He continues to actively contribute to his field through writings, broadcasts and lectures until his death in 1994.

  • Death

    Sir Karl Popper dies in 1994 at the age of 92.