The Cambridge Companion to Popper

This is one of the most comprehensive collections of critical essays to be published on the philosophy of Karl Popper.

Jeremy Shearmur (Edited by), Geoffrey Stokes (Edited by)

9780521672429, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 June 2016

420 pages, 3 b/w illus.
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm, 0.59 kg

'… the essays provide solid, insightful, indeed exemplary assessments of fundamental themes in Popper's thought …' CHOICE

Karl Popper was one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century. His criticism of induction and his falsifiability criterion of demarcation between science and non-science were major contributions to the philosophy of science. Popper's broader philosophy of critical rationalism comprised a distinctive philosophy of social science and political theory. His critique of historicism and advocacy of the open society marked him out as a significant philosopher of freedom and reason. This book sets out the historical and intellectual contexts in which Popper worked, and offers an overview and diverse criticisms of his central ideas. The volume brings together contributors with expertise on Popper's work, including people personally associated with Popper (such as Jarvie, Miller, Musgrave, Petersen and Shearmur), specialists on the topics treated (Bradie, Godfrey-Smith and Jackson), and scholars with special interests in aspects of Popper's work (Andersson, Hacohen, Maxwell and Stokes).

1. Popper and his philosophy: an overview Jeremy Shearmur and Geoffrey Stokes
2. The young Popper, 1902–37: history, politics and philosophy in interwar Vienna Malachi Hacohen
3. On Popper's contributions to psychology as part of biology Arne Petersen
4. Popper's philosophy of science: looking ahead Peter Godfrey-Smith
5. The problem of the empirical basis in critical rationalism Gunnar Andersson
6. Karl Popper's evolutionary philosophy Michael Bradie
7. Popper's paradoxical pursuit of natural philosophy Nicholas Maxwell
8. Metaphysics and realism Alan Musgrave
9. Popper's contributions to the theory of probability and its interpretation David Miller
10. Popper's philosophy of mind Frank Jackson
11. Popper's philosophy and the methodology of social science Ian Jarvie
12. Popper and Habermas: convergent arguments for a postmetaphysical universalism Geoffrey Stokes
13. Popper's politics and political thought Jeremy Shearmur.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of science [PDA], Political science & theory [JPA], History of Western philosophy [HPC]