The Central Role of Empiricism in Karl Popper’s Epistemology in Light of Hume : Continuity, Critique, and Transcendence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63939/JSS.2026-Vol10.N41.286-327Keywords:
Empiricism, Induction, Refutability (Falsifiability), Conjectures and Refutations, Skepticism, Logical AsymmetryAbstract
Received: 22/08/2026, Accepted: 26/09/2026, Published: 30/09/2026
This contradicts a popular interpretation of Popper’s philosophy, according to which Popper addresses the problem of induction raised by David Hume rather than succumbing to the uncertainty it entails. In fact, Popper defends the position that no observation can confirm a universal law, which brings him closer to Hume. This perspective requires a shift in the role of scientific experimentation, which no longer serves to confirm a theory but rather to refute it. Thus, he develops a critical and negative empiricism in which science progresses through bold conjectures and through experiments that refute them
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References
Hume (David), Enquiries Concernig Human Understaning (L.A.SelbyBigge, 3éme éd, par P.H.Nidditch, Oxford, 1975, Enquête sur l’entendement humain (1748), trad. d’A. Leroy, Nathan, Paris, 1982
Hume (David), Treaste of Human Nature (1739 : book 2, L.A.SelbyBigge, Bing an Attempt to introduce the experimental Method of Reasning into Moral Subjects), Oxford 1ére éd. 1888, Traité de la Nature Humaine (1739) ; trad. Réf. Et notes d’André Louis Leroy, Aubier, Paris 1958.
Popper (Karl), Conjectures et réfutations (1963), Michelle Irene (Traducteur), Marc B. De Launay (Traducteur), Melitta Mew (Traducteur), Collection : Payot, Paris, 2006
Popper (Karl), La connaissance objective (1972), Préface : JeanJacques Rosat, Traduction (Anglais) : JeanJacques Rosat, Flammarion, Paris, 2006
Popper (Karl), La Logique de la découverte scientifique (1934), Jacques Monod (Préfacier), Philippe Devaux (Traducteur), Nicole TyssenRutten (Traducteur), Collection : Essai Payot, Paris, octobre, 2017
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
