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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is diametrically opposed to the critical attitude required of a scientist?

2. What can observation do for science?

3. What type of hypotheses does Popper warn against?

4. What denotes what is universal about an occurrence?

5. What is the concept of simplicity a part of according to Popper?

Short Essay Questions

1. What argument does Popper present against conventionalists and positivists regarding the testing of a theory?

2. What is the falsification of a statement?

3. What is the conventionalist view of science?

4. What does breaking the investigation of the chain of logical reasoning into steps allow Popper to do?

5. Why does Popper discredit the conventionalist view of science?

6. What are the two conditions that must be met for a statement to be falsifiable?

7. What type of questions or thoughts does Popper state are irrelevant to scientific knowledge?

8. With regard to universal and singular statements, what does Popper note about symbolic logic?

9. What does Popper state is not the goal of science?

10. What must be assumed to justify a universal statement?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Popper suggests that simplicity is used in many senses. Discuss these senses and provide support from the reading. What sense of simplicity does Popper feel is appropriate in science? Do you agree with Popper? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

In one experiment designed to somewhat mimic studies by Compton-Simon and Bothe-Geiger, Popper suggests the use of an "imaginary selection." What is the purpose of this selection?

Essay Topic 3

What three steps must be taken for a statement to be logically examined? Discuss each step and identify its place in this process as well as its role.

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This section contains 746 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample