Educational Thought in Karl Popper’s Philosophy

This research aims to examine the features of educational thought in Karl Popper’s philosophy. Popper is one of the most important philosophers of science in the twentieth century, and his views had a significant impact on changing the philosophical landscape related to the natural and social sciences and their methods. Popper’s criticism of the classical model of scientific knowledge and the philosophical schools influenced by it, in addition to his work in political philosophy, which revolves within the framework of liberal philosophy based on the principles of his critical rationalism. The research analyzed Popper’s views on the philosophy of natural sciences by analyzing four problems: induction, discrimination, objectivity, and the growth of scientific knowledge. It also analyzed his views on social science methods by examining his critique of the positivist and historicist schools, his theory of the unity of scientific methods, and analyzing the idea of ​​the open society, which is the foundation of Popper’s political philosophy, and his theory of democracy. The comparative analysis method was also employed to examine Popper’s views on the theory of learning by trial and error versus the psychological theories prevalent in his era, represented by the behavioral and associationist schools. It also examines his views on educational sociology, comparing them with positivist and critical approaches, in terms of epistemological foundations, interpretation of social reality, the relationship between education and society, the ideal goal of education, and the role of the state in education. These principles are then applied to the most prominent educational issues related to teachers, curricula, and ethical values.