Karl Popper and the Falsification of Ethical Theories

Abstract Karl Popper’s theory of falsification can be applied successfully to ethical theories, and his theory of critical rationalism can be shown to be essential to the formulation of a pluralistic approach to ethical reasoning that is similar to the idea of justice developed by Amartya Sen, whose work assesses noted ethical views, with a focus on the work of John Rawls. Sen’s and Popper’s ideas are placed in the context of several traditional discussions of ethics to develop notions of what it is to experience justice and also what it is to be a just person. These traditional sources include the Bhagavad-Gita, the Book of Tao, the Beatitudes, and two Greek dramas that explore vengeance and forgiveness: The Bacchae and The Eumenides. Sen and Popper agree that ethical systems must be realistic. The insights of developmental psychology are brought to bear on this analysis, and the impact of AI on ethics is briefly considered.