Critical rationalism and 'normal science' : a proposed resolution of the Popper/Kuhn controversy and its implications for the sociology of science

By critical rationalism, Popper means, essentially, the challenging of scientific theories and their subsequent acceptance or rejection according to methodological rules.It attempts to answer the question: What makes us choose one theory rather than another?Criticism is basic to all of Popper's views and can best be understood through an analysis of his views on the growth of scientific knowledge.According to Popper, all scientific knowledge is grounded in tradition, that is previous knowledge.One does not start at square one but with some background knowledge.A theoretical framework is thus essential to serve as a guideline in research."All knowledge is theory-impregnated, including our observations", Popper states.'Scientific tradition has its source, in the fifth and sixth centuries before Christ, in the early Presocratic Greek philosophers, especially those of the Ionian school.They introduced the rationalist tradition by discussing and criticising myths until then uncritically accepted.Within this tradition, the growth of knowledge consists of modification of earlier k n ~w l e d g e .~ The growth of scientific knowledge is defined by Popper in terms of progress. .Progress does not mean ... accumulation of observations... but the repeated overthrow of scientific theories and their replacement by better one or more satisfactory ones.3Zeitlin, I .M. ( l 9 8 l ) , I d e o l o g y a n d t h e D e v