From: Aaron Sloman <A.Sloman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, Jun 3, 2017 at 12:49 PM
Subject: Request for Popper reference (on how best to criticise)
To: philos-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, philosop@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
For many years I have been telling my students and colleagues that before
criticising any theory or argument they should try to present it in the
strongest possible form, including the strongest supporting evidence or
arguments, and if possible give a more convincing presentation than
originators or defenders of the argument have done.
One reason for doing this is that the stronger the target of your
criticism, the more significant your achievement in criticising it can be.
Moreover by refuting the strongest available version you reduce the risk
of counter criticism that you've attacked something weak and uninteresting.
I told my students that this was a recommendation I had learnt from Popper.
However I have recently tried to locate the source of this recommendation
without success.
I did not meet Popper in person, so I could not have got the idea directly
from him, though I once heard him lecture in Oxford around 1960-62 (on
evolution, I think).
If anyone recognises the advice I've attributed to Popper and can provide a
reference, I'll be very grateful. Reply only to me and I'll report the
answer.
===
I disagreed with Popper on many things -- e.g. Chapter 2 of The Computer
Revolution in Philosophy criticised his demarcation between science and
metphysics, for failing to appreciate the importance for science of
theories about what is *possible*, which can sometimes be supported by
evidence, but cannot be refuted simply by observed evidence.
http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/projects/cogaff/crp/#chap2
But I also learnt from reading some of his publications, though I have
never been a Popper scholar.
Thanks
Aaron
http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~axs
Aaron Sloman
Honorary Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science
(Retired, but still working full time)
School of Computer Science,
The University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TT UK
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I don't know Mr Sloman, nor do I really understand his worries, but they
may interest some on this rainy Oregon afternoon.
Cheers
Robert Paul