Abstract

KOGAWARA, Makoto. A transformation of critical rationalism. discus.filos [online]. 2011, vol.12, n.18, pp.51-65. ISSN 0124-6127.

Popper understands the rationality in terms of our intellectual attitude. Our rationality (or reasonableness) is neither a faculty nor an intellectual gift. It is not something given to an individual, according to him. It is an attitude that we have acquired from our intellectual intercourse with others. Popper does not use "rationalism" as a philosophical term that means intellectualism in opposition to empiricism. This paper clearly shows that Popper understands rationalism not as the almightiness of reason, but as one's realization of the limit of reason. However, there arises a question; how has such a rationalist realized the limit of his own rationalism? How we should understand this limit? Popper asserts that a rationalist has noticed the limit of rationalism by envisaging the self-defeating character of the comprehensive rationalism. In order to make more understandable his assertion, we must at first explain the comprehensive rationalism apprehended by Popper.

Keywords : Critical rationalism; irrationalists; justificationism; nonjustificationism; Popper.

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