Sociology and science

Sociology and science

1. Karl Popper

   • Questioned the logic of positivism because of the emphasis on confirming the hypothesis - science should look for evidence that proves the hypothesis wrong and forces them to look elsewhere
   • There is no such thing as 'objective truth' that can be discovered and documented; at best we can only achieve partial truth as all knowledge is temporary
     • Scientific knowledge is that which survives rigorous testing
   • Scientists can never be certain the same results will be obtained in the future
     • Good science is about being sceptical and should be based on the 'principle of falsification' - scientists should be looking for evidence to prove hypothesis wrong
   • We can never be conclusively right, only conclusively wrong - no evidence can prove that a hypothesis is right
     • Science is too theoretical and not engaged in enough testing or research