Popperian cosmology
Encyclopedia
Popper's three worlds is a way of looking at reality
, described by the Austrian philosopher Karl Popper
in a lecture in 1978. The concept involves three interacting worlds, called World 1, World 2 and World 3.
. Popperian cosmology rejects this essentialism
, but maintains the common sense view that physical and mental states exist, and they interact.
The interaction of World 1 and World 2 is also an alternative to epiphenomenalism
, where World 2 objects and events are real but do not have any causal action
on World 1. Popperian cosmology rejects this for the reason that "downward causation
" is not impossible.
s such as scientific theories, stories
, myth
s, tool
s, social institutions
, and works of art.
s, in that problems and contradictions are discovered by World 2. Another example is that the process of learning
causes World 3 to change World 2.
and art
. The World 3 objects, although extant in World 1, are embodied and given extra meaning by World 3. For example, the intrinsic value of Hamlet
as a World 3 object has many embodiments in World 1, the physical world. This idea would be something along the lines of a meta-object, or a form of a being.
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
, described by the Austrian philosopher Karl Popper
Karl Popper
Sir Karl Raimund Popper, CH FRS FBA was an Austro-British philosopher and a professor at the London School of Economics...
in a lecture in 1978. The concept involves three interacting worlds, called World 1, World 2 and World 3.
Worlds 1, 2 and 3
Popper split the world into three categories:- World 1: the world of physical objectObject (philosophy)An object in philosophy is a technical term often used in contrast to the term subject. Consciousness is a state of cognition that includes the subject, which can never be doubted as only it can be the one who doubts, and some object or objects that may or may not have real existence without...
s and eventEvent (philosophy)In philosophy, events are objects in time or instantiations of properties in objects. However, a definite definition has not been reached, as multiple theories exist concerning events.-Kim’s Property-Exemplification Account of Events:...
s, including biologicalBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
entities - World 2: the world of mentalMindThe concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
objects and events - World 3: objective knowledge
The interaction of World 1 and World 2
The theory of interaction between World 1 and World 2 is an alternative theory to Cartesian dualism, which is based on the theory that the universe is composed of two essential substances: Res Cogitans and Res ExtensaRes Extensa
Res extensa is one of the three substances described by René Descartes in his Cartesian ontology, alongside res cogitans and God. Translated from Latin, "res extensa" means "extended thing"...
. Popperian cosmology rejects this essentialism
Essentialism
In philosophy, essentialism is the view that, for any specific kind of entity, there is a set of characteristics or properties all of which any entity of that kind must possess. Therefore all things can be precisely defined or described...
, but maintains the common sense view that physical and mental states exist, and they interact.
The interaction of World 1 and World 2 is also an alternative to epiphenomenalism
Epiphenomenalism
In philosophy of mind, epiphenomenalism, also known as Type-E Dualism, is a view that "mental" states do not have any influence on "physical" states.-Background:...
, where World 2 objects and events are real but do not have any causal action
Causality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
on World 1. Popperian cosmology rejects this for the reason that "downward causation
Causality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
" is not impossible.
World 3
Popper's world 3 contains the products of thought. This includes abstract objectObject (philosophy)
An object in philosophy is a technical term often used in contrast to the term subject. Consciousness is a state of cognition that includes the subject, which can never be doubted as only it can be the one who doubts, and some object or objects that may or may not have real existence without...
s such as scientific theories, stories
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
, myth
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
s, tool
Tool
A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...
s, social institutions
Institution
An institution is any structure or mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given human community...
, and works of art.
The interaction of World 2 and World 3
The interaction of World 2 and World 3 is based on the theory that World 3 is partially autonomous. For example, the development of scientific theories in World 3 leads to unintended consequenceUnintended consequence
In the social sciences, unintended consequences are outcomes that are not the outcomes intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton...
s, in that problems and contradictions are discovered by World 2. Another example is that the process of learning
Learning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
causes World 3 to change World 2.
The interaction of World 1 and World 3
Contained in World 3 are also things as feats of engineeringEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. The World 3 objects, although extant in World 1, are embodied and given extra meaning by World 3. For example, the intrinsic value of Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
as a World 3 object has many embodiments in World 1, the physical world. This idea would be something along the lines of a meta-object, or a form of a being.
Works
- Objective Knowledge: An Evolutionary Approach, 1972
- The Self and Its Brain: An Argument for InteractionismInteractionismIn sociology, interactionism is a theoretical perspective that derives social processes from human interaction. It is the study of individuals and how they act within society. Interactionist theory has grown in the latter half of the twentieth century and has become one of the dominant...
(with Sir John C. Eccles), 1977 - The Open Universe: An Argument for IndeterminismIndeterminismIndeterminism is the concept that events are not caused, or not caused deterministically by prior events. It is the opposite of determinism and related to chance...
, 1982 - Knowledge and the Body-Mind Problem, 1994.
See also
- John Carew Eccles' philosophy
- Trichotomy (philosophy)Trichotomy (philosophy)A trichotomy is a three-way classificatory division. Some philosophers pursued trichotomies.Important trichotomies discussed by Aquinas include the causal principles , the potencies for the intellect , and the acts of the intellect ,with all of those rooted in Aristotle; also...
External links
- Three Worlds by Karl Popper - The Tanner Lecture on Human Values - Delivered by Karl Popper at The University of Michigan on April 7, 1978.