Popper's theory of evolutionary epistemology and criticizing its Educational Applications

پژوهش نامه مبانی تعلیم و تربیت

Article 8, Volume 1, Issue 1, September 2011   

Document Type: پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/fe.v1i1.8650

Author

hojjat saffarheidari^*

Abstract

اThis article was written to verify the theory of evolutionary epistemology and the possibility of its educational applications. This theory that is based on Darwin's theory of evolution and the epistemology of Kant, has been expanded by Popper. According to Popper human knowledge starts from his/her expectations or hypothesis, neither observations nor pure sense experience. Man cannot observe without any expectations. Popper's theory of knowledge is opposite of the common sense view that man learns from his/her observations or sense experience. Instead, he believes that we learn from trial-error elimination process, that is to say, our learning start from our innate knowledge not from outside. It seems to be we are able to apply Popper's theory in the formal education. For example, according his view we can use inductive method of teaching instead of deductive one, and in the classroom, curriculum can be considered for discussing and it can be supposed as a tentative product of man efforts to understand his/her world and his/her society not something for mere memorizing. In order to study Popper's epistemological ideas we analyze all his accessible books, articles, lectures and the other related documents.

Key words: evolutionary epistemology, Popper, education