Karl Popper

Sir Karl Raimund Popper (July 28, 1902 – September 17, 1994), was an Austrian-born British philosopher of science and professor at the London School of Economics. He is counted among the most influential philosophers of science of the 20th century, and also wrote extensively on social and political philosophy. Popper is perhaps best known for repudiating the classical observationalist-inductivist account of science; for advancing empirical falsifiability as the criterion for distinguishing scientific theory from non-science; and for his defense of liberal democracy and the principles of social criticism which he took to make the flourishing of the "open society" possible.

Reference in popular culture

There is an obscure reference to Karl Popper in The Matrix series of movies in a character named 'The Kid'. In an animated work derived from the film's back story (the Animatrix) the character is given more detailed treatment. His name is Michael Karl Popper. While no explanation is given for the screenwriter's choice, it could be a reference to Popper's philosophy of uncertainty and falsification, freedom from political oppression, or perhaps to the objective status of products of the human mind (i.e.–The Third World). Also, the actor who plays the part of 'The Kid' seems to bear a striking facial resemblance to Karl Popper, which may have been intentional.

Related Topics:
The Matrix - The Kid - Animatrix

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