Popper rejected inductive reasoning and verificationism, which were approaches used by positivists. He argued that inductive reasoning, which involves generalizing from specific observations, is flawed because a single counter-example can falsify the generalization. Popper proposed falsificationism instead, where a scientific theory must be capable of being proven wrong through empirical testing. A good theory, according to Popper, must be falsifiable but withstand attempts to falsify it. No theory can ever be proven absolutely true, only withstand falsification attempts so far. Popper also argued that science thrives in open societies that allow criticism and debate, while closed societies dominated by rigid orthodoxies tend to stifle scientific progress.

1. Recap of... Popper