The Logic of Scientific Discovery.

POPPER, Karl R.

Item Number: 83976

London: Hutchinson, 1959.

First edition of “one of the most important documents of the twentieth century” (Peter Medawar, New Scientist). Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper to Rudolf Serkin, “To Rudi, in the hope of being forgiven for an act of violence committed forty years ago at our first meeting in July, 1919, from Karl.” The recipient, Rudolf Serkin, is widely regarded as one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters of the 20th century and was a lifelong friend of Popper’s. Popper and Serkin met in Salzkammergut, Austria in 1919 and their friendship lasted until Serkin’s death in 1991. In 1934, Serkin asked his mother-in-law, Frieda Busch, to bring Popper’s Logik der Forschung (The Logic of Scientific Discovery as it first appeared in German) to the attention of Albert Einstein as the young author did not have an academic position and needed assistance in gaining attention in the scientific community. Einstein responded warmly upon receipt of the book and endorsed the philosophy on all of its essential points. His endorsement created a stir in Vienna and beyond and the book soon received praise from other giants in the field including Rudolf Carnap, Oskar Morgenstern, and Friedrich Hayek. Fine in a very good dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.

Described by the philosopher A.J. Ayer as a work of 'great originality and power', this book revolutionized contemporary thinking on science and knowledge. Ideas such as the now legendary doctrine of 'falsificationism' electrified the scientific community, influencing even working scientists, as well as post-war philosophy. This astonishing work ranks alongside The Open Society and Its Enemies as one of Popper's most enduring books and contains insights and arguments that demand to be read to this day.