Verificationism and Falsificationism from an African Indigenous Knowledge Perspective

In Oseni Taiwo Afisi (ed.), Karl Popper and Africa: Knowledge, Politics and Development. Springer. pp. 235-246 (2021)
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Abstract

As a consequence of his attack on the verification criterion which was employed by the Vienna Circle, Popper proposed an alternative through his idea of falsificationism. Popper did not only see falsificationism as an improved demarcation criterion, he was also convinced that falsificationism attests to the fallible nature of all knowledge systems. Falsificationism embeds Popper’s demarcation of science from pseudo-science. In this study, I draw parallels between falsificationism and traditional Yorùbá epistemology. I disinter the inner kernel of Yorùbá indigenous thought system, which frowns at knowledge demarcation, and yet employs fallibilism. I therefore submit that Yorùbá indigenous knowledge system has an outlook that acknowledges the main thesis of both verificationism and falsificationism. This position therefore validates the Yorùbá meta-epistemic domain of complementarity against the demarcation criterion that deems knowledge as scientific and others non-genuine.

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Emmanuel Ofuasia
National Open University of Nigeria, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria

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