Comprendere la natura della scienza: il razionalismo critico di Popper alla prova della pandemia

On the one hand, the cenet pandemic caused by Covid-19 presented a serious challege for science; on the other, it called attention to the necessity of a proper understanding of the nature of the scientific enterprise by large sections of the population. The many cases of rejection of vaccines or of basic security measures (such as social distancing and facial masks), all sorts of conspiracy theories and a widespread scepticism towards scientists and their work have had unforeseen and alarming consequences. In my contribution, I highligt that a wrong idea of science - according to which science is episteme, that is, solidly founded knowledge - lies at the root of the attitude both of those who reject science off-hand, and of those who idolize it, refusing to even consider its limits. I suggest that Popper’s idea of science, as presented in The Logic of Scientific Discovery - the idea that science cannot and needs not be justified, and hence always retains its conjectural character - may help remedy the situation. And I point to a number of theses advanced in The Poverty of Historicism and The Open Society and Its Enemies as possible explanations of some of the social consequences of the pandemic.