Comparing Carnap And Popper Propose Two Different Criteria

Carnap and Popper propose two different criteria of demarcation. Carnap proposes that theories be declared scientific based on whether they can be tested, at least in principle, and labels this his verification criteria. Popper’s method is based on whether a theory has empirical content which is the set of all possible excluded events proposed by a theory. The question is, is it possible to agree with both of these criteria? I would say no. The above criteria, by themselves, are not enough to govern demarcation. Both of these, while necessary, are not sufficient enough to conclude that a certain theory is scientific. Examining logical examples as well as historical events revels how these theories disagree with each other and are limited†¦show more content†¦The sun could not rise and be replaced with another celestial body and the theory would still be scientific according to Carnap’s criteria. Let us consider an example from history. Consider the Phlogiston t heory. This is a rather ancient, now disproven, theory arising in the 17th century that is the predecessor to the theory of combustion. The theory states that all combustible bodies contain Phlogiston. Upon burning, these bodies release Phlogiston to the air. The air can hold a finite amount of Phlogiston after which it is completely phlogisticated and no longer supports burning of a material. Carnap would consider this theory unscientific as it cannot be tested. At the time, there was no way to quantify or measure Phlogiston. No instruments existed at that time period that could have been used to measure Phlogiston which makes the theory unscientific. Who was to say what substances possess and do not possess Phlogiston since it could not be measured? On the other hand, Popper would argue that the theory is scientific as it has empirical content, it excludes non-combustible bodies from having Phlogiston. Let us consider a case where both Carnap and Popper would agree. Compare the Phlogiston theory to modern chemistry and combustion. Both Carnap and Popper would agree that combustion is scientific. Calorimeters exist that can measure heat released from chemical reactions quite easily. Combustion also lays out what happens upon a