The Logic of Scientific Discovery

Described by the philosopher A. J. Ayer as a work of 'great originality and power', this book revolutionized contemporary thinking on science and knowledge. Ideas such as the now legendary doctrine of 'falsificationism' electrified the scientific community, influencing even working scientists, as well as post-war philosophy. This astonishing work ranks alongside The Open Society and Its Enemies as one of Popper's most enduring books and contains insights and arguments that demand to be read to this day.

PART I Introduction to the Logic of Science 1 A Survey of Some Fundamental Problems 2 On the Problem of a Theory of Scientific Method PART II Some Structural Components of a Theory of Experience 3 Theories 4 Falsifiability 5 The Problem of the Empirical Basis 6 Degrees of Testability 7 Simplicity 41 Elimination of the Aesthetic and the Pragmatic Concepts of Simplicity 8 Probability 9 Some Observations on Quantum Theory 10 Corroboration, or How a Theory Stands up to Tests