The demarcation problem

The “demarcation problem” is the philosophical challenge to develop a coherent distinction between science and pseudoscience. The problem received its name and its most famous solution from the Austrian-British philosopher, Karl Popper. Popper’s proposal, “falsifiability,” stated that if a doctrine made knowledge claims that could never possibly be proven false, then the theory was no longer scientific but pseudoscientific. This account is especially popular among scientists, even though in terms of logic and empirical adequacy Popper’s account fails. After describing Popper’s theory and its difficulties, the chapter also gives an account of how it became so widely known as a consequence of debates over creationism. In conclusion, some philosophical alternatives to Popper are discussed.