Written during World War II and published in 1945, 'The Open Society and Its Enemies' is a seminal work in political philosophy. Karl Popper critiques the theories of teleological historicism espoused by Plato, Hegel, and Marx, arguing that these theories undermine individual freedom and pave the way for authoritarian regimes. The book defends the open society and liberal democracy, emphasizing the importance of critical rationalism, individual freedom, and the ethos of scientific inquiry in politics. It also discusses the challenges facing open societies, including totalitarianism, dogmatism, and relativism, and advocates for a piecemeal approach to social reform.
In 'The World Until Yesterday,' Jared Diamond examines traditional societies around the world, particularly those in New Guinea, to understand how they address universal human problems such as child rearing, elder care, conflict resolution, and physical fitness. The book is part anthropology and part personal memoir, using Diamond's extensive field experience to provide insights into how these societies functioned and what lessons they can offer to modern Western societies. Diamond avoids romanticizing these societies and instead presents a balanced view of their practices, highlighting both their virtues and defects. The book also discusses broader themes such as the shift from hunter-gatherer to modern societies and the importance of learning from diverse human experiments in society[1][3][4].
The Open Society as an Enemy: A critique of how free societies turned against themselves by J. McKenzie Alexander
Nearly 80 years ago, Karl Popper gave a spirited philosophical defence of the Open Society in his two-volume work, The Open Society and Its Enemies. In this book, J. McKenzie Alexander argues that a new defence is urgently needed because, in the decades since the end of the Cold War, many of the values of the Open Society have come under threat once again. Populist agendas on both the left and right threaten to undermine fundamental principles that underpin liberal democracies, so that what were previously seen as virtues of the Open Society are now, by many people, seen as vices, dangers, or threats.
The Open Society as an Enemy: A Critique of how Free Societies Turned Against Themselves interrogates four interconnected aspects of the Open Society: cosmopolitanism, transparency, the free exchange of ideas, and communitarianism. Each of these is analysed in depth, drawing out the implications for contemporary social questions such as the free movement of people, the erosion of privacy, no-platforming and the increased political and social polarisation that is fuelled by social media.
In re-examining the consequences for all of us of these attacks on free societies, Alexander calls for resistance to the forces of reaction. But he also calls for the concept of the Open Society to be rehabilitated and advanced. In doing this, he argues, there is an opportunity to re-think the kind of society we want to create, and to ensure it is achievable and sustainable. This forensic defence of the core principles of the Open Society is an essential read for anyone wishing to understand some of the powerful social currents that have engulfed public debates in recent years, and what to do about them.
The book is publicly available via the following link The Open Society as an Enemy | LSE Press
J. McKenzie Alexander is a Professor in Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method in the London School of Economics. From 2012 to 2018, Professor Alexander served as one of the Academic Governors on the Council of the LSE, as well as a member of the Court of Governors. From 2018–2021, he served as the Head of Department. Before joining the department, Alexander was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Philosophy, University of California – San Diego (between 2000 and 2001). Although J. McKenzie Alexander's original field of research concerned evolutionary game theory as applied to the evolution of morality and social norms, more recently he has worked on problems in decision theory, more broadly construed, including topics in formal epistemology.
Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos
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