Replies and Responses

Abstract

“The differences between Popper and Agassi come down to emphasis, to priorities rather than to views that are true or false. Take the issue of hard work. Both Popper and Agassi worked very hard.... Agassi... insists that he does not accept the ethics of hard work, does not accept, that is, that we have a duty to work as hard as we can. He sees “hard work” as a phrase meaning “slog”, meaning work you do not enjoy but which you force yourself to do. This seems to be a willful misunderstanding. Popper was not recommending ditch-digging or toilet cleaning when he counselled hard work. The work Popper was referring to was scholarship and scholarship can of course be immensely enjoyable to the scholar. Popper was a perfectionist and a pessimist. ... His pessimism shows in his view that no matter how careful one is there will always be misprints.”