Karl Popper is one of the greatest and most influential philosophers of the twentieth century. Originally published in German in 2000, Herbert Keuth's book is a systematic exposition of Popper's philosophy covering the philosophy of science (Part 1); social philosophy (Part 2); and metaphysics (Part 3). More comprehensive than any current introduction to Popper, it is suitable for courses in the philosophy of science and the philosophy of social science.

Karl Raimund Popper war einer der bedeutendsten Philosophen unserer Zeit. Die 'Logik der Forschung' ist sein Hauptwerk. Sie enthält die Grundlagen des „Kritischen Rationalismus“. Carnap zählte sie 1935 „zu den wichtigsten gegenwärtigen Arbeiten auf dem Gebiet der Wissenschaftslogik“ und sie zählt heute zu den wichtigsten wissenschaftstheoretischen Arbeiten des 20. Jahrhunderts. Der kritische Rationalismus zeigt, warum unser Wissen fehlbar ist und erklärt den Erkenntnisfortschritt als Resultat von Versuch und Irrtum, von Hypothesenbildung und -widerlegung. Wir lernen nicht primär aus erfüllten, sondern (...) aus gescheiterten Erwartungen. In seinen Büchern 'Die offene Gesellschaft und ihre Feinde' und 'Das Elend des Historizismus' übertrug Popper diese Gedanken auf die Sozialwissenschaften und die politische Philosophie. Der vorliegende Sammelband übernimmt im wesentlichen die Gliederung der 'Logik der Forschung'. Seine Beiträge kommentieren die jeweiligen Themen gemäß dem heutigen Stand der Forschung. (shrink)

In his well?known paper from 1954, Herbert A. Simon sets out to demonstrate that it is possible, in principle, to make public predictions within the social sciences that will be confirmed by the events. However, Simon's proof by means of the Brouwer fixed?point theorem not only rests on an illegitimate use of continuous variables, it is also founded on the questionable assumption that facts ? even on the level of possibilities ? can be established by purely mathematical means. The (...) ?proof? also appears redundant since we already know from past experience that, for instance, the confirmation of a public election prediction is possible. (shrink)

Developing a concept briefly introduced in Counterrevolution and Revolt, Marcuse here addresses the shortcomings of a Marxist aesthetic theory and explores a dialectical aesthetic in which art functions as the conscience of society. Marcuse argues that art is the only form of expression that can take up where religion and philosophy fail and contends that aesthetic offers the last refuge for two-dimensional criticism in a one-dimensional society.

Die Logik der Forschung ist Poppers Hauptwerk. Sie entstand in der Auseinandersetzung mit dem Neopositivismus des Wiener Kreises. Sein Abgrenzungskriterium löste Wittgensteins Sinnkriterium ab und seine Lösung des Basisproblems beendete die Protokollsatzdebatte. Er zeigt, dass Theorien nicht beweisbar, sondern fehlbare Vermutungen sind. Die Erkenntnistheorie versteht er als Methodologie. Sie soll die Prüfbarkeit unserer Theorien sichern, damit wir aus Versuch und Irrtum lernen können.

Popper schätzt Kant als Erkenntnistheoretiker, Aufklärer und Moralphilosophen. Er teilt Kants kritischen Realismus und rückt dessen ‚kopernikanische Wende‘ ins Zentrum der Erkenntnistheorie, deutet sie aber im Sinne der denkpsychologischen These, dass wir empirische Theorien nicht anhand von Beobachtungen bilden, sondern frei erfinden. Er glaubt, der kritische Rationalismus könne als Vervollständigung der kritischen Philosophie Kants gelten. Auch bei den Themen Ethik und Aufklärung geht seine Interpretation über das hinaus, was sich mit dem Wortlaut der Texte Kants vereinbaren lässt.

Herbert A. Simon's reply (Inquiry, Vol. 25, No. 3) to my criticism of his 1954 paper is not to the point. He fails to respond to some of my arguments and misconceives others. One of his misconceptions is that any mathematical deduction from empirical premises which are formulated mathematically will necessarily lead to empirically valid conclusions. This claim is particularly unwarrantable in Simon's case since his mathematical premise, the continuity of the reaction function, is empirically meaningless.

The foundation of historical materialism.--A study on authority.--Sartre's existentialism.--Karl Popper and the problem of historical laws.--Freedom and the historical imperative.

Summary In his Logic of Scientific Discovery and also in Conjectures and Refutations Karl Popper laid down methodological rules. They were to secure severe tests of our theories so that we might at least prove our false theories to be false, if we cannot prove our true theories to be true. But falsification turned out to be as impossible as verification. What is more, the rules, which are here examined, do not even advance criticism of theories. Either they are (...) trivial or not applicable or even untenable or they refer to problems, which do not exist. There is no reason to expect that those rules, which we could not here examine, are essentially different. Hence applying the methodological rules of critical rationalism in empirical sciences seems out of the question. (shrink)

In his “Logic of Scientific Discovery” and also in “Conjectures and Refutations” Karl Popper laid down methodological rules. They were to secure severe tests of our theories so that we might at least prove our false theories to be false, if we cannot prove our true theories to be true. But falsification turned out to be as impossible as verification. What is more, the rules, which are here examined, do not even advance criticism of theories. Either they are trivial (...) or not applicable or even untenable or they refer to problems, which do not exist. There is no reason to expect that those rules, which we could not here examine, are essentially different. Hence applying the methodological rules of critical rationalism in empirical sciences seems out of the question. (shrink)

In his “Logic of Scientific Discovery” and also in “Conjectures and Refutations” Karl Popper laid down methodological rules. They were to secure severe tests of our theories so that we might at least prove our false theories to be false, if we cannot prove our true theories to be true. But falsification turned out to be as impossible as verification. What is more, the rules, which are here examined, do not even advance criticism of theories. Either they are trivial (...) or not applicable or even untenable or they refer to problems, which do not exist. There is no reason to expect that those rules, which we could not here examine, are essentially different. Hence applying the methodological rules of critical rationalism in empirical sciences seems out of the question. (shrink)

The foundation of historical materialism -- A study on authority -- Sartre's existentialism -- Karl Popper and the problem of historical laws -- Freedom and the historical imperative.

Wie vielleicht kein anderes seiner Werke reprasentieren Reinholds Verhandlungen sein lebenslanges Bemuhen, die Aufklarung in Kooperation und Auseinandersetzung mit anderen Selbstdenkern voranzutreiben. Sie umfassen drei Beitrage. Der zweite, der Entwurf zu einem Einverstandnisse unter Wohlgesinnten, resultiert aus Diskussionen, die Reinhold mit freimaurerischen Freunden fuhrte. Hier geht es im Kern um die Frage, wie sich dem aufgeklarten Denken kantischer Pragung die notige soziale Wirkung und organisatorische Kraft verschaffen liesse. Dieser Entwurf wurde weithin an Freunde und Bekannte verschickt, mit der Bitte, (...) dem Einverstandnis beizutreten. Aber auch konstruktive Kritik erbat Reinhold. Von den Antworten, die er erhielt, druckte er neun Briefe mit seinen eigenen Repliken ab - der dritte Beitrag. Der erste Beitrag enthalt Reinholds ausfuhrliche, im Umfang stark erweiterte Umarbeitung des Entwurfs. (shrink)

Paracelsus nahm in verschiedenen Kontexten Stellung zum facettenreichen Thema "Bild". Als radikaler Laientheologe attackierte er in reformatorisch gesinnten Schriften den Bildgebrauch der Römischen Kirche und umriss die Macht des Glaubens. Als Naturphilosoph und Mediziner verfasste er einen Bildertraktat, der nicht zum ästhetischen Genuss von Bildern anleiten, sondern ihre "Kraft" und "Tugend" zur Erkundung der Welt und zur Gewinnung des Heils eingesetzt wissen will. In seinem Hauptwerk Astronomia magna integrierte er seine Vorstellungen von wirkmächtigen Bildern in ein enzyklopädisches Wissenschaftsprogramm und (...) umriss seine Erwartungen an den wahren Künstler. (shrink)

Das vorliegende Buch ist die uberarbeitete und erweiterte Fassung einer schon Mitte der fiinfziger Jahre angestellten Untersuchung, zu der mich Prof. Dr. Dr. HANS LEISEGANG, der besonders durch seine "Denkformen" bekanntgewordene ehemalige Ordinarius der Philo­ sophie, kurz vor seinem Tode angeregt hatte. Das Ur-Manuskript entstand im Lichte der lebendigen Freundschaft, die mich an Prof. Dr. EDUARD MAy band. Auch er ist viel zu fruh von uns gegangen. Wertvolle Klarungen und Hinweise habe ich dem verstorbenen klassischen Philologen Prof. Dr. ACHILLE VOGLIANO (...) zu danken. Prof. Dr. KURT VON FRITZ, bedeutender Grazist und hervorragender Kenner der griechischen Mathematik, hat sich der Muhe unterzogen, die Erstfassung des Manuskripts kritisch durchzusehen. Ihm sei hier­ fur herzlich gedankt. Besonderer Dank gebuhrt ferner Herrn Oberstudienrat KARL TESMER fur seine wertvolle Hilfe bei der Korrektur der griechischen Texte sowie meinen langjahrigen Mitarbeiterinnen, Frau HELGA STRANZ und Fraulein BRIGITTE PRASTEL, fur technisch-organisatori­ sche Unterstutzung mannigfacher Art. Danken m6chte ich schlieSlich dem Springer-Verlag Wien' New York fur das Verstandnis, das er stets meinen Wunschen entgegen­ gebracht hat, sowie fur die wie immer sorgfaltige Herstellung und ansprechende Gestaltung des Buches. (shrink)

Die Idee eines selbständigen Bandes von "Pfander-Studien" entstand nach dem Internationalen Kongreß "Die Münchener Phänomenologie", der an läßlich des hundertsten Geburtstags von Alexander Pfander in München stattfand. Ursprünglich war geplant, die im zweiten Teil des Kongresses im Rahmen einer Arbeitstagung über "Das Werk und die Bedeutung Alexander pfänders" gehaltenen Referate, die bereits vervielfältigt waren, nebst Diskussionsberichten in den vorgesehenen Gesamtband über die Konferenz für die Serie Phaenomenologica einzuschlie­ ßen. Als sich herausstellte, daß der dort verfügbare Raum -für die meisten Beiträge (...) zu knapp bemessen war und nur die abgekürz­ ten Texte ohne Diskussion hätten aufgenommen werden' können, tauchte die Idee eines gesonderten Bandes auf. Sie führte alsbald zur Erwägung neuer Beiträge und sonstiger Hilfen für das Ver­ ständnis des alten und neuen Werkes Pfänders. Von den Kon­ greßbeiträgen war ohnehin der von Karl Schuhmann ftir ein gesondertes selbständiges Buch" Husserl über Pfänder" vorgese­ hen, das inzwischen in der Reihe Phaenomenologica erschienen ist. 1 Der Beitrag von Peter Schwankl "Alexander pfänders Nachlaßtexte über das virtuell Psychische" erschien im Journal 0/ Phenomenological Psychology. 2 Die beiden einleitenden Refe­ rate von Schwankl und Spiegel berg über die damals noch unge­ druckten Nachlaßwerke Philosophie auf phänomenologischer Grundlage und Ethik in kurzer Darstellung konnten nach deren Erscheinen fortbleiben. (shrink)

Sir Herbert Butterfield was one of the leading British historians of the twentieth century. A diplomatic historian by training, he branched out into a variety of fields including historiography, the history of science and international theory. The International Thought of Sir Herbert Butterfield brings together material from Butterfield's previously unpublished papers and a critical commentary from two leading Butterfield scholars: Sharp and Schweizer. They recover Butterfield's contribution to international thought, particularly his role as a founding member of the (...) British Committee on the theory of international politics (also known as the English School). (shrink)

Kolloquiumsbeiträge des XV. Deutschen Kongresses für Philosophie 1990 in Hamburg. Mit Beiträgen von Herbert Schnädelbach, Hilary Putnam, Karl-Otto Apel, Walter Ch. Zimmerli, Rudolf A. Makkreel, Wolfgang Bartuschat, Elke Hahn und Klaus Vieweg, Roland Simon-Schaefer, Ruedi Imbach, Georg Wieland, Jan Peter Beckmann, Pierre Aubenque, Annemarie Gethmann-Siefert, Gernot Böhme, Dietrich Böhler, Jürgen Habermas, Friedrich Kambartel, Oswald Schwemmer, Dieter Birnbacher, Karl-Friedrich Wessel, Friedrich Rapp, Otfried Höffe, Henning Ottmann und Terry Pinkard.

Von der biblischen Religion -- Der philosophische Glaube -- Der Weltschöpfungsgedanke -- Gibt es Unsterbilichkeit? : Wir sind sterblich, wo wir lieblos sind -- Die Frage der Entmythologisierung -- Die Auffassung der Persönlichkeit Jesu -- Die nichtchristlichen Religionen und das Abendland -- Unsterblichkeit -- Die Kraft der Hoffnung -- Mythos und Philosophie.

Christopher Hookway has been influential in promoting engagement with pragmatist and naturalist perspectives from classical and contemporary American philosophy. This book reflects on Hookway's work on the American philosophical tradition and its significance for contemporary discussions of the understanding of mind, meaning, knowledge, and value. Hookway's original and extensive studies of Charles S. Peirce have made him among the most admired and frequently referenced of Peirce's interpreters. His work on classical American pragmatism has explored the philosophies of William James, John (...) Dewey and Josiah Royce, and examined the influence of pragmatist ideas outside of the United States. Additionally, Hookway has participated in a number of celebrated exchanges with some of the most high-profile figures of twentieth- and twenty-first century philosophy, including Karl-Otto Apel, Philip Pettit, Hilary Putnam, and W.V.O. Quine, through which his treatments of a large range of topics in epistemology and the philosophies of mind and language have been developed and promoted. The chapters in this book-which include contributions from several of Hookway's former students and colleagues-include studies of Hookway's engagement with the works of Peirce, James, and Dewey, his contributions to virtue epistemology, and his discussions of hope and pragmatist metaphysics. Pragmatic Reason will be of interest to researchers and advanced students working on American philosophy, the history of analytic philosophy, and epistemology. (shrink)

Christopher Hookway has been influential in promoting engagement with pragmatist and naturalist perspectives from classical and contemporary American philosophy. This book reflects on Hookway’s work on the American philosophical tradition and its significance for contemporary discussions of the understanding of mind, meaning, knowledge, and value. -/- Hookway’s original and extensive studies of Charles S. Peirce have made him among the most admired and frequently referenced of Peirce’s interpreters. His work on classical American pragmatism has explored the philosophies of William James, (...) John Dewey, and Josiah Royce, and examined the influence of pragmatist ideas outside of the United States. Additionally, Hookway has participated in a number of celebrated exchanges with some of the most high-profile figures of twentieth- and twenty-first-century philosophy, including Karl-Otto Apel, Philip Pettit, Hilary Putnam, and W.V.O. Quine, through which his treatments of a large range of topics in epistemology and the philosophies of mind and language have been developed and promoted. The chapters in this book—which include contributions from several of Hookway’s former students and colleagues—include studies of Hookway’s engagement with the works of Peirce, James, and Dewey, his contributions to virtue epistemology, and his discussions of hope and pragmatist metaphysics. -/- Pragmatic Reason will be of interest to researchers and advanced students working on American philosophy, the history of analytic philosophy, and epistemology. (shrink)

In the explosion of recent books on Heidegger, Karl Löwith’s work, now available in an excellent English edition, distinguishes itself by careful historical scholarship and insightful immanent critique. Along with Hannah Arendt, Hans Jonas, and Herbert Marcuse, Löwith was one of Heidegger’s first students; all were later forced into exile by the National Socialist movement their teacher publicly supported for a time. Löwith’s work on the philosophy of history and the nineteenth century is already well known in English; (...) now we can appreciate his evaluation of Heidegger. Invoking Nietzsche’s dictum, “One repays a teacher poorly if one always remains only a pupil”, Löwith here achieves a balanced critique of Heidegger’s thought and its political implications. He avoids both defensive apologies and ad hominem attacks: “Between the two extremes of fascination and repulsion, we are attempting to pursue a critical middle path”. As Richard Wolin explains in the introduction, “Throughout Löwith’s narrative it is not Heidegger’s greatness as a thinker that is in dispute, but the uses to which that greatness allowed itself to be put”. (shrink)

The title of the paper productively suggests a double-meaning of truth vis-à-vis dialogue. The claim is both that the concept of truth is essential for a comprehensive conception of dialogue, and that dialogue points toward a concept of truth beyond dogmatic infallibity or doxastic relativism. At stake is to show how truth entails an essentially dialogical moment, and dialogue, if conceived philosophically, must entail the concept of truth.In theological as well as philosophical dogmatism, a final truth is assumed. Interesting are (...) positions such as Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI’s or Karl-Otto Apel’s “transcendental pragmatics” since they attempt to engage in dialogue yet assume an “infallible” or “ultimately grounded” foundation for their own assumptions. Radically opposed to this infallibilism is the postmodern relativistic view according to which the “groundless grounds” of human understanding make all claims to truth meaningless. Since understanding and dialogue are situated in contingent cultural contexts, as Richard Rorty argues, no ascent to truth is ever possible. The result of our analysis suggests that both positions lead to an insulation of experience from true dialogicalchallenge. Dogmatic positions miss the dialogical core of truth, as they believe that insulated truth-content remains “true” regardless of engaged and challenged reassertions. Doxastic conceptions miss the truth-relation of dialogue, as they fail to capture the seriousness and intentionality of intersubjective and intercultural dialogue.From these critical points emerges a productive concept of dialogue that entails truth as an open-ended and dynamic, and thereby indispensable, concept. Moreover, our analysis lays out that the basic dialogical notions involve truth, openness, and reciprocity in an interconnected way. Dialogue is unavoidable for truth, as much as truth is intrinsic to dialogue. But the new synthesis of truth and dialogue allows for a pluralistic understanding of truth that still, we hope, remains truthful to its content. As such, it alone can ground a non-relativistic notion of multiculturalism. (shrink)

There are presently two leading foreign policy decision-making paradigms in vogue. The first is based on the classical or rational model originally posited by von Neumann and Morgenstern to explain microeconomic decisions. The second is based on the cybernetic perspective whose groundwork was laid by Herbert Simon in his early research on bounded rationality. In this paper we introduce a third perspective — thepoliheuristic theory of decision-making — as an alternative to the rational actor and cybernetic paradigms in international (...) relations. This theory is drawn in large part from research on heuristics done in experimental cognitive psychology. According to the poliheuristic theory, policy makers use poly (many) heuristics while focusing on a very narrow range of options and dimensions when making decisions. Among them, the political dimension is noncompensatory. The paper also delineates the mathematical formulations of the three decision-making models. (shrink)

There are presently two leading foreign policy decision-making paradigms in vogue. The first is based on the classical or rational model originally posited by von Neumann and Morgenstern to explain microeconomic decisions. The second is based on the cybernetic perspective whose groundwork was laid by Herbert Simon in his early research on bounded rationality. In this paper we introduce a third perspective -- the poliheuristic theory of decision-making -- as an alternative to the rational actor and cybernetic paradigms in (...) international relations. This theory is drawn in large part from research on heuristics done in experimental cognitive psychology. According to the poliheuristic theory, policy makers use poly (many) heuristics while focusing on a very narrow range of options and dimensions when making decisions. Among them, the political dimension is noncompensatory. The paper also delineates the mathematical formulations of the three decision-making models. (shrink)

What is health? This question figures prominently in several ethical, medicinal and psychological issues. Against this background the paper investigates the definition and the understanding of health in Karl Barth‘s dogmatics in its theological framework. The reconstruction provides a model of health, which allows treating contemporary issues, because it presents a dynamic and relational model with several dimensions, including the dimension of will. The will to health, though depending on somatic, psychic and social conditions, plays an important role in (...) handling with diseases, in living with imperfections and in supporting healthy lifestyle and preventive measures. This will must be interpreted as the will and the power to be a human being with its gifts and limits. (shrink)