Thinking without borders: the philosophical Legacy of Karl Popper

(summary of the Round Table, Kryvyi Rih, December 17, 2024)

Abstract

The article outlines key milestones in the biography and provides a concise overview of the academic journey of Karl Popper, along with an account of how he was perceived by his contemporaries. The authors compare Popper’s life circumstances and scholarly interests in order to trace the influences and interactions that shaped his philosophical position. This study is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Popper’s death and aims to demonstrate the relevance, significance, and, in a broader sense, the enduring legacy of his ideas for the present and future generations of philosophers concerned with the development of knowledge, society, and humanity.   The first part of the article focuses on the reception and recognition of Popper’s contributions among philosophers in the second half of the 20th century and briefly contextualizes his academic path against the backdrop of the two World Wars. The second part offers an analytical review of the contributions presented at the Round Table “Thinking Without Borders: The Philosophical Legacy of Karl Popper”, which took place on December 17, 2024, at Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University. Scholars from various Ukrainian institutions shared their views and interpretations, including Inna Holubovych (Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University), Olha Honcharenko (National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky), Dmytro Sepetiy (Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University), Andrii Synytsia (Ivan Franko National University of Lviv), Kostiantyn Raikhert (Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University), as well as members of the Department of Philosophy at Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University: Halyna Baluta, Mykola Briukhovetskyi, Nadiia Kozachenko, and Oksana Panafidina.   The third part of the article correlates the current state of philosophical research and societal realities with Popper’s philosophical ideas, emphasizing the relevance of his methodology, which promotes critical reflection, problem-oriented thinking, and dialogical engagement in the context of gradual change. The authors argue that the facts of the current historical situation provide both sufficient grounds and a powerful impetus to revisit and rethink Popper’s philosophical legacy in an attempt to respond meaningfully to the serious challenges of our time.