评波普尔对归纳问题的取消

波普尔认为,科学知识即理论内容的增长是科学进步的最为重要的标志。然而,科学理论的内容丰富程度与逻辑概率之间正好是反变关系,因此,科学的目标不是追求理论的高概率,而是追求理论的低概率,不是追求理论的可证实性,而是追求理论的可证伪性。既然归纳推理是确立结论真实性或概然性的推理,所以,归纳推理是与科学目标背道而驰的,因而应当将它从科学方法论中清除出去,相应地,休谟提出的归纳问题也就一并被取消了。然而,当波普尔引入“逼真性”概念以后,他的验证方法便不可能是完全演绎的,或多或少地含有归纳的成分。因此,波普尔对归纳问题的取消是不成功的。

Comments on Popper's Eliminating Problem of Induction

Popper maintains that growth of scientific knowledge,i.e.,theoretical contents,is the most important aim of progress of science.Nevertheless,the abundance of theoretical contents is inversely proportional to logical probability.So the scientific aim is not in pursuit of higher probability,but in pursuit of lower probability;not in pursuit of verification,but in pursuit of falsification.Since induction is the inference that attaches verification or probability to its conclusion,it runs in the opposite direction of science,hence it should be abandoned from scientific methodology.However,after Popper introduced the concept of"verisimilitude",his method of corroboration became not full deductive,and included some inductive factors more or less.So it is not succeed for Popper to eliminate problem of induction.