Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Popping Out for a Quote
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Creationists claim that this shows that evolutionary theory (that they equate with "Darwinism") fails Popper's oft-cited "falsifiability" test of what is and is not science (which is now generally deemed among philosophers of science to be a failure as a "demarcation criterion"). In any event, as John Wilkins already noted, Popper does not mean that as a condemnation:
Thanks to David Wilson over at the talk.origins newsgroup for the following on a quote mine of the late philosopher of science, Karl Popper, which I thought I would post here until I get it up as an addition to the reply we already have in the Quote Mine Project.
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First, the quote from Popper:
Darwinism is not a testable scientific theory, but a metaphysical research programme. - Karl Popper, Unended Quest (Glasgow: Fontana, Collins. 1976), p.151.
Popper originally said that evolution (by which he meant natural selection) was a "metaphysical research programme". Popper, unlike the logical positivists he opposed, held that metaphysical programmes were an essential element of science, and that without them, theories were effectively dead in the water.
However, Popper did later change his mind. Here is Dave Wilson's report, slightly modified from the original, on the article in which Popper announced that:
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In his Dialectica article, Popper does in fact explicitly recant his previous opinion on natural selection, and affirm that he considers it testable. On pages 343 and 344 of the article he reviews the opinions of various evolutionary theorists on the nature of natural selection, as well as the one he himself had previously held. Then at the top of page 345 he writes:
I still believe that natural selection works in this way as a research programe. Nevertheless, I have changed my mind about the testability and the logical status of the theory of natural selection; and I am glad to have the opportunity to make a recantation. My recantation may, I hope, contribute a little to the understanding of the nature of natural selection.After one and a half pages of discussion he gives the following summary (p.346).
The theory of natural selection may be so formulated that it is far from tautological. In this case it is not only testable but it turns out to be not universally true. There seem to be exceptions, as with so many biological theories; and considering the random character of the variations on which natural selection operates, the occurrence of exceptions is not surprising. Thus not all phenomena of evolution are explained by natural selection alone. Yet in every particular case it is a challenging research programme to show how far natural selection can possibly be held responsible for the evolution of a particular organ or behavioural programme.
Returning to my take on this, to promote the quote as condemning evolutionary theory to non-scientific status when it didn't and as representing Popper's judgment on the theory when he later changed his mind, is typical of the depths that certain creationists will go to. It brings to mind another quote:
It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind the ID Policy. -US District Judge John E. Jones III, Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, p. 137
Honest quoting . . . ID policy . . . seems it is all the same to them.
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Comments:
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Alas, with creationists, we are always left trying to determine if we are dealing with ignorance or malevolence.
I'm really glad to know the QMP is out there. A few years back I discovered a coworker was a creationist who mentioned his collection of quotes - it would have been great to engage him with the QMP as a backup.
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I'm really glad to know the QMP is out there. A few years back I discovered a coworker was a creationist who mentioned his collection of quotes - it would have been great to engage him with the QMP as a backup.
# posted by 
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