Skip to main content
Log in

Logic of discovery or psychology of invention?

  • Part III. Invited Papers Dedicated To Sir Karl Popper
  • Published:
Foundations of Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is noted that Popper separates the creation of concepts, conjectures, hypotheses and theories—the context of invention—from the testing thereof—the context of justification—arguing that only the latter is susceptible of rigorous logical analysis. Efforts on the part of others to shift or eradicate the demarcation established by this distinction are discussed and the relationship of these considerations to the claims of “strong artificial intelligence” is pointed out. It is argued that the mode of education of scientists, as well as reports of celebrated scientists, support Popper's judgement in this matter. An historical episode from Faraday's later career is used to illustrate the historiographical strength of Lakatos' “methodology of research programs.”

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sir Karl Popper,The Logic of Scientific Discovery (Science Editions, New York, 1961). For a concise edited selection of this and other works by Popper organized by subject seePopper Selections D. Miller, ed. (Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  2. T. S. Kuhn,The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (2nd edn. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1970);The Essential Tension (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1977). See alsoScientific Revolutions Ian Hacking, ed. (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  3. K. Popper,Logic, pp. 31–32.

  4. D. Miller,Popper Selections, pp. 122, 172, 177–179, 277–228.

  5. R. S. Mansfield and T. V. Busse,The Psychology of Creativity and Discovery: Scientists and Their Work (Nelson Hall, Chicago, 1981) and references therein.

    Google Scholar 

  6. I. Lakatos, inCriticism and the Growth of Knowledge I. Lakatos and A. Musgrave, eds. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1970), pp. 91–195; andI. Hacking, Scientific Revolutions, pp. 128–143 [reprinted from BostonStudies in the Philosophy of Science,VII, 91–136 (1970); Kuhn's response appears on pp. 137–146].

    Google Scholar 

  7. See Ref. 6.

    Google Scholar 

  8. I. Hacking, inScientific Revolutions, pp. 132 and 134, and also P. Feyerabend, p. 161.

  9. A. Lugg,Phil. Sci. 52, 207–220 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  10. T. Nickles,Phil. Sci. 52, 177–206 (1985); and inTheory and Experiment D. Batens and J. P. van Bendegem, eds. (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1988), pp. 33–53.

    Google Scholar 

  11. T. Nickles, inTheory and Experiment (Ref. 10), p. 41.

    Google Scholar 

  12. L. P. Williams,Faraday, pp. 466–470; and J. F. Woodward, inOld and New Questions in Physics, Cosmology, Philosophy and Theoretical Biology A. van der Merwe, ed. (Plenum, New York, 1983), pp. 885–898.

  13. In particular, L. P. Williams and F. A. J. L. James (see Ref. 9)..

    Google Scholar 

  14. O. F. Mossotti,Sur les forces qui regissent la constitution interieur des corps (Turin, 1836; English trans. in:Taylor's Scientific Memoirs 1, 448 (1839). See also J. F. Woodward (Ref. 13).

  15. I. Hacking,Scientific Revolutions (Ref. 2), ( p. 134.

    Google Scholar 

  16. B. Latour,Science in Action (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  17. E. Zahar,Einstein's Revolution: A Study in Heuristic (Open Court, La Salle, Illinois, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  18. E. Zahar,Einstein's Revolution, pp. 22–23.

  19. K. Popper,The Logic of Scientific Discovery, p. 32; and A. Einstein,Autobiographical Notes P. Schilpp, ed. (Open Court, LaSalle, 1979), pp. 6–13.

  20. E. Zahar,Einstein's Revolution, p. 3; see also p. 125.

  21. K. Popper, in Miller,Popper Selections, pp. 171–180, esp. p. 179. See also, for example, M. Polanyi, inKnowing and Being: Essays M. Grene, ed. (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1969), esp. pp. 117–119.

  22. Sharon Traweek,Beamtimes and Lifetimes: The World of High Energy Physicists (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1988), pp. 74–78. See also: S. Brush,Science, p. 1170 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  23. S. Traweek,Beamtimes, p. 79.

  24. S. Traweek,Beamtimes, p. 77.

  25. S. Traweek,Beamtimes, p. 75.

  26. T. S. Kuhn,Essential Tension, p. 305.

  27. T. S. Kuhn,Essential Tension, pp. 300–308.

  28. M. Hesse,Models and Analogies in Science (University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, 1966). In this connection, see also H. Yukawa,Creativity and Intuition, A Physicist Looks East and West (Kodansha, Tokyo, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  29. These essays are edited and collected in M. Polanyi,Knowing and Being (see Ref. 22).

  30. M. Polanyi,Knowing and Being, p. 106.

  31. M. Polanyi,Knowing and Being, passim, esp. pp. 212–213.

  32. M. Polanyi,Knowing and Being, p. 144.

  33. M. Polanyi,Knowing and Being, pp. 117–119.

  34. E. Zahar,Einstein's Revolution, p. 23.

  35. R. Penrose,The Emperor's New Mind (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  36. G. Johnson,The Sciences (Publ. NYAS)30, 45–49 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  37. H.-H. von Borzeszkowski and H.-J. Treder,The Meaning of Quantum Gravity (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  38. R. Penrose,Mind, p. 415.

  39. A. Einstein,Autobiographical Notes, pp. 7 and 11.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Woodward, J.F. Logic of discovery or psychology of invention?. Found Phys 22, 187–203 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01893611

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01893611

Keywords

Navigation