Popper's Three Worlds
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
Reality consists of three worlds: World 1 (physical objects), World 2 (subjective consciousness/mental states), and World 3 (objective knowledge/products of human culture, such as books, theories, and art). Although World 3 originates from World 2, once produced, it possesses independent objective reality.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
The independent life of knowledge. We create theories (World 3), but theories subsequently shape us in return. Acknowledging the independence of World 3 helps us understand why ideas escape the control of their authors and exert enormous physical force in history.
Anchor fast decisions
World 1 consists of physical entities, World 2 of conscious experience, and World 3 of objective meaning content (theories, problems, artworks). World 3, created by World 2, can exist independently of individual minds and acts back on World 2 and World 1, forming a feedback loop. Knowledge thus has an independent evolutionary trajectory.
MINIMUM ACTION
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B3%A2%E6%99%AE%E5%B0%94%E7%9A%84%E4%B8%89%E4%B8%AA%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8Cverified
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