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New items on line, October 1999
Under Miscellaneous
Evolutionary Epistemology (unpublished review).
Two papers on Metaphysical Research Programmes.
Review of Bryan Magee's memoires.
Under The Skeptic
The Philosophy of Karl Popper (the edifice and the balloon).
Review of Alan Chalmers What is this thing called science?
The Old Stuff
For the Melbourne Age Monthly Review.
An overview of Popper's career, indicating some of the main themes of his philosophy of science and politics, and some of the ways that he has been misunderstood and misrepresented.
This article is a critique of two things. One is a defective method, which converts substantial problems into word games and thereby brings the ?house of intellect? into disrepute, generating anti-intellectualism in reaction. The other is the doctrine of the organic state and its positive or morally coercive function. These two things are juxtaposed because the method generates a verbal smokescreen, which conceals the anti-humanitarian content of the doctrine.
This paper indicates some of the possible applications of Popper's theory of objective "world 3" knowledge which remains one of the least-appreciated aspects of his work.
This article draws on Popper's theory of language to define the literary text in a way that avoids the reductive tendencies of some critical theories while holding at bay the conceptual anarchy of the deconstructionists.
An account of Bartley's work on the crisis of rationality and his critique of the dogmatic or justificationist tendencies in Western rationalism.
An outline of Medawar's outstanding career in science and his contribution to the popularisation of Popper's ideas on the philosophy of science. An introduction to the 'hot air' model of science as an alternative to the 'edifice' model.
Peter Munz explains the parallels between Popper's theory of knowledge and biological evolution. This perspective, allied with the rejection of "justificationism", provides a platform to criticise both the positivist or "mirror" theories of knowledge and also the "lamp" theories that derive from Wittgenstein, Kuhn and Rorty.
Miscellaneous papers
Popper, Campbell and others have revived the evolutionary approach to knowledge, against the tendencies of philosophical and metaphysical ideas that have been dominant for most of this century. If the hegemony of these ideas can be successfully challenged then scholars may be empowered to escape from various sterile orthodoxies where they are trapped by professional and ideological brand loyalties.
Unpublished Review of Bill Bartley's book
Unfathomed Knowledge, Unmeasured Wealth, Open Court, 1990.
For Metascience
For Critical Review (New York)
Review of Howard Felperin Beyond Deconstruction: The Use and Abuse of Literary Theory.
For Quadrant (Australia)
Preference (Sowell)
Interviews with scientists Wolpert (ed)
Life among the scientists
For The Skeptic (Australia)
For Australian Book Review
David Oldroyd, The Arch of Knowledge: An Introductory Study of the History of the Philosophy and Methodology of Science.
Hanbury Brown, The Wisdom of Science: Its Relevance to Culture and Religion.
Continental Shift: Globalisation and Culture
, edited by Elizabeth Jacka.On the Edge of Discovery: Australian Women in Science
, edited by Farley Kelly, andRay Sumner,
A Woman in the Wilderness: The Story of Amalie Dietrich in Australia.Australian Science in the Making
, edited by R W HomeRobert Howard,
All about Intelligence: Human, Animal and ArtificialMicrobiology in Action
eds. W. G. Murrell and I. R. KennedyPeter Fitzsimons,
Nick Farr-Jones: The Authorised BiographyL. J. M. Cooray
The Australian Achievement: From Bondage to Freedom. The Australian Achievement Project
NSW Government Printer, Sydney, 1981. (380pp)
Current Affairs Bulletin, 1985.
American Psychologist, December 1985.
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