In recent years, a conflict between string physicists and many physicists in other fields has intensified. The latter group considers string physics an unwarranted speculation and takes the string physicists' more optimistic stance to be a deviation from the solid scientific path of theory assessment. The conflict is characterised by a conspicuous lack of mutual understanding between string physicists and their critics. The considerations sketched on the previous page offer a specific interpretation of that situation. The arguments for limitations to scientific underdetermination encountered by string physicists alter their understanding of scientifically acceptable strategies of theory evaluation and thus open up a "meta-paradigmatic rift" between them and physicists of other fields. Assessments which appear unjustified according to the classical scientific paradigm can be reasonable based on the string theorists' altered understanding of scientific reasoning. A fertile discussion does not develop since both sides of the conflict disregard its meta-paradigmatic nature. (see [4].)