Conjectures and Refutations

Dogmatism is the practice of stubbornly clinging to an idea or fact. It often manifests as an intolerant attitude, especially when presented with alternate or incompatible information. Popper condemns dogmatism for its inability to accept criticism and falsification, arguing that clinging to an idea and refusing all criticism of it halts scientific progress.

Doxa designates any subjective opinion held by individuals. It is inexact and lacks objectivity. It is used in contrast to episteme, which describes tried and true scientific facts.

Empiricism is a philosophy that claims all human knowledge must be derived from observation or empirical evidence. People learn by using their five senses to observe nature. Empiricism is contrasted with pure reasoning, which is the practice of gaining real knowledge through nothing but logical thought.

Episteme, or divine scientia, is used to describe real, indubitable, demonstratable knowledge that humankind has discovered through research and testing. It is used in contrast with doxa, which designates human opinion and subjectivity.

Falsification is the practice of using severe tests to determine the legitimacy and scope of a theory. It is the fundamental denominator between science and pseudo-science: Whereas the former will craft theories that can potentially be falsified, the latter cannot.

In Conjectures and Refutations, historicism denotes the practice of using pseudo-scientific methods to predict the course of human history. Although it claims to use real scientific methods, Popper believes it is no more accurate than myths or prophecies and that it should be rejected as an outdated practice.

Instrumentalism, as used in Popper’s work, is the belief that science’s sole purpose is to help humanity achieve specific goals. It is used mainly to contrast with the concept of objective truth: Whereas Popper believes science should not preclude itself from attempting to answer existential questions, instrumentalists avoid these philosophical questions by using science as a vehicle for achieving human goals.

Objective truth designates the real state of the universe, outside of human influence. Despite it being impossible to prove, Popper strongly supports its existence. This is because falsification is based on the existence of an independent truth outside of human experience, and Popper believes that falsification is a key component of the scientific process.

Rationalism is the belief in using reasoning and logic to gain knowledge and a better understanding of the world. In Popper’s work, rationalism can either lead to a tyrannical society or a democratic one. When rationalism is only allowed for a select few people whose role is to interpret the truth for others, it can often lead to oppressive regimes. In contrast, when rationalism is encouraged in everyone, it promotes a more democratic and egalitarian society.

Truth manifest, also called the theory of the vericitas dei, is a doctrine that states that what can be seen and reasoned to be true must indeed be true. In other words, the universe that humans see reflects how it truly is. From a theistic point of view, truth manifest is the truth of God. From a naturalist point of view, truth manifest is the fundamental state of nature.