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In Search of a Better World: Lectures and Essays from Thirty Years by Karl Popper, Routledge, pp 245, £25

Karl Popper is widely known within the scientific community for his work in the philosophy of science but, during his long and distinguished career, he has commented on many other aspects of human intellectual activity and organisation, and continues to be an outspoken critic of all forms of totalitarianism. In Search of a Better World is a new collection of essays on science, knowledge, history, politics and art. It offers us a
chance to renew our acquaintance with this veteran philosopher and to learn some new things.

Popper’s major contribution to the philosophy of science is his principle of ‘falsifiability’: the idea that any theory, to be a theory, must be capable of being proved false. Despite the regard that practising scientists
have held for this approach (championed in the 1960s by the likes of Peter Medawar), it holds little appeal for the modern philosopher, and tends to be bundled up with the empiricist approaches of the early positivists as a variant of verificationism.

However, Popper’s approach is (and always has been) quite different from that of the positivists. He is first and foremost a realist, believing that the success of the natural sciences is founded not on empirical measurement, but on great ideas. ‘Scientific progress,’ he writes, ‘does not consist in the accumulation or clarification of facts, but in bold and revolutionary ideas, which are then sharply criticised and examined.’ Elsewhere he writes that ‘knowledge is guesswork disciplined by rational criticism’. Consequently, he believes that the scientist should strive to avoid dogmatic thinking, maintain intellectual modesty and use a simple and unpretentious language, for example, ‘we are all equal in our infinite ignorance.’

Thus does Popper reject scientism – the dogmatic belief in the primacy of science and ‘the scientific method’. But those who have recently published works criticising scientism will not find an ally in Popper, for he writes that ‘many people who regard themselves as critics of scientism are in reality dogmatic, ideological and authoritarian opponents of the natural sciences, of which they sadly understand too little’.

The messages of Popper’s essays are most pertinent to the current debate. Å®ÉúСÊÓƵs must acknowledge their ignorance and learn a little humility. An irrational fear of science is born of ignorance of its methods, of its limitations and of the kind of knowledge we can acquire from it. For scientists to eradicate this fear requires not arrogance, but tolerance, sympathy and a willingness to educate.

It is the practice of less ‘developed’ societies to venerate the wisdom of their elders. Earlier this year, on 28 July, Popper celebrated his 90th birthday. In Search of a Better World contains essays spanning 30 years,
the earliest written at a stage in Popper’s life where most ordinary mortals wood be looking forward to a peaceful retirement. Irrespective of how developed we believe our Western society to be, we would do well to heed the wisdom of this particular elder.

Jim Baggott is the author of The Meaning of Quantum Theory, Oxford University Press.