Abstract

SummaryOn purely logical grounds, if hypothesis H can be eliminated, then so too must its logical complement, H', be confirmed. The Asymmetry Theory, if true, must therefore be not formal but substantial. This cannot be established by the “two‐tier” view which requires symmetrical generalisation of theory terms and observation data. Even singular observations before being usable require a theory of accidents, a theory of errors, already built in to them before they can falsify hypotheses. This explains the inconsistency of Popper's Simplicity criterion and his notion of a priori probability. Conclusion: Falsificationists cannot condemn verifiability without condemning themselves at the same time