The Myth of the Framework

Abstract

The article is a translation of Popper's work The Myth of the Framework, prepared in 1965 and first published in the book The Abdication of Philosophy and the Public Good (The Schilpp Festschrift) edited by E. Freeman, The Open Court Publishing Co, La Salle, Illinois, 1976.

In this article, Popper explains and criticizes what he calls the myth of the intellectual framework, comments on the arguments of W. Quine, T. Kuhn, and B. Whorf that have been used in its defense. The purpose of the article, as Popper defines it, is to challenge relativism in its broadest sense. He sees relativism as one of the main components of modern irrationalism, which includes, in particular, the doctrine of the impossibility of mutual understanding between different cultures, generations, or historical periods.

Popper reduces the essence of the myth of the intellectual framework to the thesis that a rational and fruitful discussion is impossible if its participants do not share a common system of basic assumptions, and evaluates it not only as a false but also a destructive statement that undermines the unity of humanity and significantly increases the likelihood of violence and war.

Popper consistently refutes this myth and shows under what conditions a fruitful rational discussion is possible between people who have different intellectual frameworks, speak different languages, belong to different cultures or to different scientific and philosophical traditions, etc.