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  • Essay / Karl Popper – The father of the theory of the fascination of knowledge

    The philosophy of science deals with the foundations, methods and results of science. Moreover, it has existed for many centuries across the world. Over time, many philosophers have contributed to the philosophy of science, perhaps the most influential and best known of these being the 20th century philosopher Karl Popper. This essay will discuss the beginnings of Karl Popper and how his theory of the fascination of knowledge became one of the most beloved theories in his field. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayBorn on July 28, 1902 in Vienna, Austria, to parents of Jewish origin, his father Simon Siegmund Carl Popper was a lawyer but he was also interested in philosophy. Karl's mother, Jenny Schiff, was a housewife and an amateur pianist. Karl Popper came from a family that placed great importance on learning and education. At Popper's home, there was a college library due to his father's love of books and the plethora of classical musical instruments available. Among Karl there were two other children, his older sisters Dora and Annie. The Poppers had established themselves as part of the Viennese upper middle class. Even though Karl Popper had a privileged childhood, he became aware of the poverty that surrounded him. His empathy for people was instilled in him by his father who worked with humanitarian organizations that provided food and shelter to the homeless. Karl was interested in books on philosophy and social and political issues. His love of knowledge and books carried over to school, but he felt that the lessons he was learning in high school were painfully slow and that his time would be better spent elsewhere. Returning to school after a long absence, he felt even more certain that his time was wasted. He finally decided to drop out of high school altogether at the age of 16. He then enrolled at the University of Vienna to take classes and lectures, not to obtain a specific degree, but because he thought it would be interesting and useful. In 1918, Austria experienced an extreme financial and social crisis at the end of the First World War. Popper became concerned again with the issues of poverty that once troubled him when he was younger due to the number of people suffering. In 1919, when Popper was 17, he joined the Socialist School Students' Association and became involved in left-wing politics. Eventually he became a Marxist for a short time, until he abandoned the association and left the movement. During this time, Popper began listening to the work of Alber Einstein. His first being a lecture given by Einstein in Vienna on the theory of relativity. Discovering Albert Einstein's work changed Popper's view. He was fascinated by how Einstein was able to modify and discard his theory if it did not pass critical tests. Around 1920, Popper left his parents' home to ease their financial burden after the war. Thus, leading him on a journey to discover who he was as a young adult. He continued his studies at the University of Vienna with courses in subjects including mathematics, theoretical physics and philosophy. But he also needed to earn a living, so he trained as a furniture maker while continuing his studies. Eventually, he decided he wouldn't be good at making furniture because his mind was elsewhere, which led him to get his teaching certificate in..