Methodological Individualism

208 Popperian methodological individualismmuch like Emile Durkheim (see p. 34). This might be an indication that he nolonger adheres to methodological individualism. At least, he does not mentionthis principle in his lecture. In Popper’s latest work (from the middle of the 1960sand onwards), methodological individualism has disappeared altogether. It is noteven alluded to in his Intellectual Autobiography (1974a), and the reason is not hardto find. Popper’s theory of an autonomous world of objective ideas, capable ofacting back upon individuals and their subjective ideas is hardly compatible withthe original Austrian version of methodological individualism. 6Popper’s theory of an autonomous world of objective ideas is part of an ontologicaltheory stating that there are, at least, three distinct worlds in the universe,each of which exists as an autonomous part of reality. They are (1) ‘the world ofphysical objects or physical states, (2) the world of states of consciousness, ormental states, or perhaps behavioural dispositions to act’ and (3) ‘the world ofobjective contents of thought’ (Popper [1968] 1972: 106). Popper discussesWorld 3 mainly from an epistemological point of view, but it is clear that histheory about three worlds has implications also for the methodology of the socialsciences.To World 3 belong, first of all, such things as scientific theories and arguments,but also tools, institutions, traditions, works of art and values (Popper,1972: 113; see also 1976: 187, 195). What Popper calls world 3 is what manysocial scientists call ‘culture’. According to Popper, then, culture, or at least partof it, belongs to world 3. This world, although man-made, transcends individualhuman beings and acts back upon them.Admitting that world 3 originates with us, I stress its considerable autonomy,and its repercussions on us. Our minds, our selves, cannot exist without it;they are anchored in world 3. We owe to the interaction with world 3 ourrationality, the practice of critical and self-critical thinking and acting. Weowe to it our relation to our task, to our work, and its repercussions uponourselves.(Popper, 1976: 196)Popper’s theory of three worlds is a theory of emergent evolution. As such, itbelongs in the holistic tradition. 7 An important element in the theory of emergentevolution, including Popper’s version of it, is that each level in thehierarchic structure of the world is irreducible to the level ‘below’, but exerts acausal influence upon it. Popper calls it ‘downward causation’. In this ‘downwardcausation … the whole, the macro structure, may qua whole, act upon a photonor an elementary particle or an atom’ (Popper, 1977: 19). But there is also adownward causation from society to individuals:The most interesting examples of downward causation are to be found inorganisms and their ecological systems, and in societies of organisms. Asociety may continue to function even though many members die; but a