Everything about The Open Society And Its Enemies totally explained
The Open Society and Its Enemies, is an influential two-volume work by
Karl Popper written during
World War II. Failing to find a publisher in the United States, it was first printed in London, by
Routledge, in
1945. (Vol 1 ISBN 0415290635, Vol 2 ISBN 0415290635)
Publication
A veritable who's who of philosophy and the social sciences were involved in its path to publication, as Popper was writing in academic obscurity two oceans away in
New Zealand for the duration of the
war. Among them were
Ernst Gombrich (entrusted with the main task of finding a publisher),
Friedrich Hayek (who wanted to get Popper to the
London School of Economics and thus was enthused by Popper's turn to social philosophy),
Lionel Robbins,
Harold Laski (both of whom reviewed the manuscript), and
J.N. Findlay, among others. It was Findlay who suggested the title to the book, after three previous ones had been discarded ('A Social Philosophy for Everyman' was the original title of the manuscript, 'Three False Prophets: Plato-Hegel-Marx' and 'A Critique of Political Philosophy' were also considered and rejected).
Synopsis
In
The Open Society and Its Enemies, Popper developed a critique of
historicism and a defense of the
open society,
liberal democracy. The book comes in two volumes, volume one subtitled "The Spell of
Plato", and volume two, "The High Tide of Prophecy:
Hegel,
Marx, and the Aftermath"
The subtitle of the first volume is also its central premise — namely, that most
Plato interpreters through the ages have been seduced by his greatness. In so doing, Popper argues, they've taken his political philosophy as a benign idyll, rather than as it should be seen: a horrific
totalitarian nightmare of deceit, violence, master-race rhetoric, and eugenics.
Contrary to major
Plato scholars of his day, Popper divorced
Plato's ideas from those of
Socrates, claiming that the former in his later years expressed none of the
humanitarian and
democratic tendencies of his teacher. In particular, he accuses
Plato of betraying Socrates in the
Republic, wherein he portrays Socrates sympathizing with
totalitarianism (
see: Socratic problem).
Popper extols
Plato's analysis of social change and discontent, yet rejects his solutions. This is dependent on Popper's reading of the emerging humanitarian ideals of
Athenian democracy as the birth pangs of his coveted "
open society." In his view,
Plato's historicist ideas are driven by a fear of the change that comes with such a liberal worldview. Popper also suggests that
Plato was the victim of his own vanity—that he'd designs to become the supreme
Philosopher King of his vision.
In volume two, Popper moves on to criticise
Hegel and
Marx, tracing back their ideas to
Aristotle, and arguing that the two were at the root of 20th century totalitarianism.
Further Information
Get more info on 'The Open Society And Its Enemies'.
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