Hypothesis

A hypothesis (Greek: ὑπόθεσις hypóthesis "assumption, premise, basis") is a statement whose validity is merely assumed but, in contrast to mere speculation, can be logically justified insofar as it is free of contradiction and consistent with the knowledge gained so far. Hypotheses do not provide definitive knowledge, but can be useful as working hypotheses in the form of provisional assumptions. Hypotheses that cannot be empirically tested and therefore fundamentally disproved (falsified) are unscientific. In his 1934 manuscript «The Two Fundamental Problems of the Theory of Knowledge», Karl Popper coined the term ad hoc hypothesis for auxiliary hypotheses that are spontaneously introduced for an individual case, i.e. (Latin: ad hoc "to this, for this"), in order to protect a theory from its falsification. He considered such a procedure methodologically reprehensible. In fact, contemporary scientific research can hardly do without ad hoc hypotheses that have been established temporarily. Paul Feyerabend also pointed this out.

Rudolf Steiner remarks:

„Hypotheses must not be made about something that is supposed to be inaccessible to our knowledge in principle. A hypothesis can only be an assumption about a fact which is inaccessible to us for accidental reasons, but which belongs by its nature to the world given to us.“ (Lit.:GA 30, p. 64)

Literature

• Karl Popper, Troels Eggers Hansen (Translator): The Two Fundamental Problems of the Theory of Knowledge, Routledge 2009, ISBN 978-0415610223
• Paul Feyerabend: Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge, 4th Edition, Verso 2010, ISBN 978-1844674428
• Rudolf Steiner: Methodische Grundlagen der Anthroposophie, GA 30 (1989), ISBN 3-7274-0300-4 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org

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