. ▁Every ▁step ▁in ▁the ▁analysis ▁can ▁be ▁log ically ▁and ▁empir ically ▁tested . ▁The ▁herm ene ut ic ▁assumption ▁is ▁that ▁these ▁relations ▁require ▁shared ▁mean ings ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁function ▁and ▁communicate ▁at ▁all . ▁These ▁shared ▁pres upp os itions ▁have ▁an ▁intr insic ▁rational ity , ▁because ▁human ▁behaviour ▁– ▁ultimately ▁driven ▁by ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁surv ive ▁– ▁is ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁extent ▁pur pos ive ▁( tele ological ), ▁and ▁not ▁arbitrary ▁or ▁random ▁( though ▁some ▁of ▁it ▁may ▁be ). ▁If ▁the ▁" ess ential ▁relationships " ▁never ▁became ▁visible ▁or ▁manifest ▁in ▁any ▁way , ▁no ▁science ▁would ▁be ▁possible ▁at ▁all , ▁only ▁spec ulative ▁met aph ys ics . ▁It ▁is ▁merely ▁that ▁sense ▁data ▁require ▁correct ▁interpretation ▁– ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁meaning ▁independently ▁of ▁their ▁soci ally ▁medi ated ▁interpretation . ▁In ▁that ▁sense , ▁the ▁mask ▁pres upp oses ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁something ▁which ▁for ▁the ▁time ▁being ▁remains ▁invisible , ▁but ▁which ▁can ▁be ▁revealed ▁when ▁one ▁disco vers ▁what ▁is ▁behind ▁the ▁mask . ▁It ▁may ▁be ▁that ▁the ▁ess ence ▁suddenly ▁reve als ▁itself ▁on ▁the ▁stage ▁of ▁history , ▁or ▁more ▁simply ▁that ▁the ▁understand ings ▁which ▁one ▁already ▁has , ▁are ▁alter ed ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁ess ence ▁of ▁the ▁thing ▁is ▁finally ▁grasp ed . ▁ ▁Frankfurt ▁School ▁analysis ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁Marx ' s ▁concept ▁of ▁character ▁mask s , ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Frankfurt ▁School