#93 (C&R Chap 10, Part I) - An Introduction to Popper's Theory of Content
About this episode
The episode introduces Popper's theory of content and discusses the criteria for evaluating scientific theories.
Back to basics baby. We're doing a couple introductory episodes on Popper's philosophy of science, following Chapter 10 of Conjectures and Refutations. We start with Popper's theory of content : what makes a good scientific theory? Can we judge some theories as better than others before we even run any empirical tests? Should we be looking for theories with high probability? Ben and Vaden also return to their roots in another way, and get into a nice little fight about how content relates to Bayesianism. We discuss Vaden's skin care routine If you find your friend's lost watch and proceed to lose it, are you responsible for the watch? Empirical vs logical content Whether and how content can be measured and compared How content relates to probability Quotes My aim in this lecture is to stress the significance of one particular aspect of science—its need to grow, or, if you like, its need to progress. I do not have in mind here the practical or social significance of this need. What I wish to discuss is rather its intellectual significance. I assert that continued growth is essential to the rational and empirical character of scientific knowledge; that if science ceases to grow it…
More episodes of Increments
- #101 (C&R Chap 10, Part IV) - Was Popper Wrong about Verisimilitude?
- #100 - Celebrating the Centennial
- #99 - Debating Trump in Good Faith (w/ Don Robinson)
- #98 (C&R Chap 10, Part III) - What is truth?
- #97 - Did Effective Altruism Have Ulterior Motives From the Beginning?
- #96 (Bonus) - On the Limits of Introspection
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Increments podcast page.