>> (I have been amused that some creationists like to point out that at one
time, Popper held that evolution was not falsifiable, but was a
>'metaphysical research program,' but they fail to also note that Popper
>also believed the same thing about religious convictions such as the
>design theory).
>> ___________________________________________________________________________
> I am sometimes amused that people who are amused at the fact that
>"some creationists like to point out that at one time, Popper held that
>evolution was not falsifiable, but was a 'metaphysical research program,'
>but ... fail to also note that Popper also believed the same thing about
>religious convictions such as the design theory," fail to note that
>Popper eventually held that what's more important is not empirical
>"falsifiability" but rational "criticizability," and he believed that
>metaphysical research programs can, in fact, be criticizable.
> This "criticizability criterion" for rationality was picked up on
>by one of Popper's advocates, the late W.W. Bartley, especially in his
>incisive critique of much of modern theology in his RETREAT TO COMMITMENT
>(1962; 1984).
Thanks for the info. My intention was to point out that Popper's
falsification criterion is not a good argument against evolution science,
especially if it is used to selectively criticize science from a point of
view that Popper also criticized on the basis of not being falsifiable. In
this light, I am not sure of the intent of your response to my original
post--it almost sounds that, because Popper later deemphasized
falsifiability, you agree that invoking falsifiability does not provide a
compelling argument against evolution science. Or did you intend to convey
something different?
Cheers,
Steve
__________________________________________________________________________
Steven S. Clark, Ph.D . Phone: 608/263-9137
Associate Professor FAX: 608/263-4226
Dept. of Human Oncology and Email: ssclark@facstaff.wisc.edu
UW Comprehensive Cancer Center
CSC K4-432
600 Highland Ave.
Madison, WI 53792
"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to
search out a matter." Proverbs
___________________________________________________________________________