The World 3 (W3) theory outlined by Popper in the 1960s has been diversely received, raising enthusiasms as well as severe criticisms. In this paper, I resituate the theory in the development of Popper’s philosophy. I not only present the three “sources” (evolutionism, K. Bühler’s theory of language, Frege’s semantics) of W3, but I also show that the first one dominates the two others. Comparing it with a few other evolutionary philosophies, I propose to understand Popper’s metaphysics as part of an evolutionary and spiritualist philosophy, which was, however, always balanced by a strong ethical reminder of the inescapability of human responsibility.
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