--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The difficulties connected with my…" description: "\"“The difficulties connected with my criterion of demarcation (D) are important, but must not be exaggerated. It is vague, since it is a methodological ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/karl-popper-2167_adler_the-difficulties-connected-with-my-crite_2369907.jpg" --- # The difficulties connected with my criterion of… ![“The difficulties connected with my criterion of demarcation (D) are important, but must not be exaggerated. It is vague, since it is a methodological rule, and since the demarcation between science and nonscience is vague. But it is more than sharp enough to make a distinction between many…” quote by Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/karl-popper-2167_adler_the-difficulties-connected-with-my-crite_2369907.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/karl-popper-2167_adler_the-difficulties-connected-with-my-crite_2369907.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/karl-popper-2167_adler_the-difficulties-connected-with-my-crite_2369907.jpg) > ““The difficulties connected with my criterion of demarcation (D) are important, but must not be exaggerated. It is vague, since it is a methodological rule, and since the demarcation between science and nonscience is vague. But it is more than sharp enough to make a distinction between many physical theories on the one hand, and metaphysical theories, such as psychoanalysis, or Marxism (in its present form), on the other. This is, of course, one of my main theses; and nobody who has not understood it can be said to have understood my theory. The situation with Marxism is, incidentally, very different from that with psychoanalysis. Marxism was once a scientific theory: it predicted that capitalism would lead to increasing misery and, through a more or less mild revolution, to socialism; it predicted that this would happen first in the technically highest developed countries; and it predicted that the technical evolution of the 'means of production' would lead to social, political, and ideological developments, rather than the other way round. But the (so-called) socialist revolution came first in one of the technically backward countries. And instead of the means of production producing a new ideology, it was Lenin's and Stalin's ideology that Russia must push forward with its industrialization ('Socialism is dictatorship of the proletariat plus electrification') which promoted the new development of the means of production. Thus one might say that Marxism was once a science, but one which was refuted by some of the facts which happened to clash with its predictions (I have here mentioned just a few of these facts). However, Marxism is no longer a science; for it broke the methodological rule that we must accept falsification, and it immunized itself against the most blatant refutations of its predictions. Ever since then, it can be described only as nonscience—as a metaphysical dream, if you like, married to a cruel reality. Psychoanalysis is a very different case. It is an interesting psychological metaphysics (and no doubt there is some truth in it, as there is so often in metaphysical ideas), but it never was a science. There may be lots of people who are Freudian or Adlerian cases: Freud himself was clearly a Freudian case, and Adler an Adlerian case. But what prevents their theories from being scientific in the sense here described is, very simply, that they do not exclude any physically possible human behaviour. Whatever anybody may do is, in principle, explicable in Freudian or Adlerian terms. (Adler's break with Freud was more Adlerian than Freudian, but Freud never looked on it as a refutation of his theory.) The point is very clear. Neither Freud nor Adler excludes any particular person's acting in any particular way, whatever the outward circumstances. Whether a man sacrificed his life to rescue a drowning, child (a case of sublimation) or whether he murdered the child by drowning him (a case of repression) could not possibly be predicted or excluded by Freud's theory; the theory was compatible with everything that could happen—even without any special immunization treatment. Thus while Marxism became non-scientific by its adoption of an immunizing strategy, psychoanalysis was immune to start with, and remained so. In contrast, most physical theories are pretty free of immunizing tactics and highly falsifiable to start with. As a rule, they exclude an infinity of conceivable possibilities.”” [Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Popper argues that scientific demarcation is fuzzy but sufficient to separate empirical theories from metaphysical ones; he critiques Marxism for abandoning falsifiability, while noting differences with psychoanalysis. **In simple terms:** Science vs. non‑science hinges on testability; Marxism failed this test. Key Takeaway Apply falsifiability to evaluate ideas. Themes science philosophy methodology critique politics Mood critical analytical skeptical Type philosophical academic controversial When to use this quote - evaluating political theories - assessing scientific claims - distinguishing empirical from metaphysical - applying critical rationalism Key Concepts falsifiability demarcation theory testing ideology critique Questions to Reflect On - Can all useful ideas be strictly falsifiable? - How do we handle theories that blend science and ideology? A Different Perspective Some valuable ideas persist despite falsification failures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adler/) [Clarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarity/) [Demarcation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demarcation/) [Falsifiable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falsifiable/) [Freudian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freudian/) [Human behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-behaviour/) [Marxism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marxism/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Psychoanalysis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychoanalysis/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Push Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/push-forward/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientific theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific-theory/) [Sigmund-freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sigmund-freud-2/) [Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism/) [Treatment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treatment/) [Vague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vague/) ## Related quotes > [The relevance of Marxism to science is that it removes it from its imagined position of complete detachment and shows it as a part,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/the-relevance-of-marxism-to-science-is-that-it-removes-it-from-its/) [John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/) > [“The wish to gain complete possession of somebody is expressed most plainly by jealousy. Jealousy is never a sign of love. 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But it is more than sharp enough to make a distinction between many physical theories on the one hand, and metaphysical theories, such as psychoanalysis, or Marxism (in its present form), on the other. This is, of course, one of my main theses; and nobody who has not understood it can be said to have understood my theory. The situation with Marxism is, incidentally, very different from that with psychoanalysis. Marxism was once a scientific theory: it predicted that capitalism would lead to increasing misery and, through a more or less mild revolution, to socialism; it predicted that this would happen first in the technically highest developed countries; and it predicted that the technical evolution of the 'means of production' would lead to social, political, and ideological developments, rather than the other way round. But the (so-called) socialist revolution came first in one of the technically backward countries. And instead of the means of production producing a new ideology, it was Lenin's and Stalin's ideology that Russia must push forward with its industrialization ('Socialism is dictatorship of the proletariat plus electrification') which promoted the new development of the means of production. Thus one might say that Marxism was once a science, but one which was refuted by some of the facts which happened to clash with its predictions (I have here mentioned just a few of these facts). However, Marxism is no longer a science; for it broke the methodological rule that we must accept falsification, and it immunized itself against the most blatant refutations of its predictions. Ever since then, it can be described only as nonscience—as a metaphysical dream, if you like, married to a cruel reality. Psychoanalysis is a very different case. It is an interesting psychological metaphysics (and no doubt there is some truth in it, as there is so often in metaphysical ideas), but it never was a science. There may be lots of people who are Freudian or Adlerian cases: Freud himself was clearly a Freudian case, and Adler an Adlerian case. But what prevents their theories from being scientific in the sense here described is, very simply, that they do not exclude any physically possible human behaviour. Whatever anybody may do is, in principle, explicable in Freudian or Adlerian terms. (Adler's break with Freud was more Adlerian than Freudian, but Freud never looked on it as a refutation of his theory.) The point is very clear. Neither Freud nor Adler excludes any particular person's acting in any particular way, whatever the outward circumstances. Whether a man sacrificed his life to rescue a drowning, child (a case of sublimation) or whether he murdered the child by drowning him (a case of repression) could not possibly be predicted or excluded by Freud's theory; the theory was compatible with everything that could happen—even without any special immunization treatment. Thus while Marxism became non-scientific by its adoption of an immunizing strategy, psychoanalysis was immune to start with, and remained so. In contrast, most physical theories are pretty free of immunizing tactics and highly falsifiable to start with. As a rule, they exclude an infinity of conceivable possibilities.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karl Popper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/the-difficulties-connected-with-my-criterion-of-demarcation-d-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adler" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/the-difficulties-connected-with-my-criterion-of-demarcation-d-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/karl-popper-2167_adler_the-difficulties-connected-with-my-crite_2369907.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/karl-popper-2167_adler_the-difficulties-connected-with-my-crite_2369907.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/karl-popper-2167_adler_the-difficulties-connected-with-my-crite_2369907.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The difficulties connected with my criterion of demarcation (D) are important, but must not be exaggerated…” — Karl Popper", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Karl Popper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The difficulties connected with my criterion...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/the-difficulties-connected-with-my-criterion-of-demarcation-d-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/the-difficulties-connected-with-my-criterion-of-demarcation-d-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```