No label defined (Q4241867)

The paper deals with Hermann von Helmholtz as a philosopher of science. The author argues that in his later years, Helmholtz made approaches to an understanding of science that pointed to the 20th century. Although Helmholtz never left the horizon of classical thinking, he closely approached modern understanding of science as expressed in Karl R. Popper's ``Logic of research''. The author gives a short reconstruction of Popper's position which is then confronted to Helmholtz's understanding of science. This comparison reveals the modernism of Helmholtz's position and also the important role of absolutely classic elements in Popper's philosophy of science. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0846.00021].