Changes

==Politics==

==Politics==

A refugee from Austria after the rise of [[Nazism]], Popper dedicated the war years to the study of the roots of totalitarian thought.  The “Open Society and its Enemies” analysed the contribution, as he saw it, of [[Plato]], [[Hegel]] and [[Marx]] to an anti-rational tribalistic “closed society”.  The close society was, for Popper, marked by a lack of criticism of established ideas (established societal norms being treated not as societal norms but as “taboo” or “the natural order”) together with a collectivism that subjected the individual to the group goal.  Popper also saw “historicist” views and underpinning much of the thought behind the “closed” society.  “Historicism”, dealt with in “The Poverty of Historicism” and criticised throughout the “Open Society”, both sees historical laws of development and bases much of its morality on these supposed laws.   

A refugee from Austria after the rise of [[Nazism]], Popper dedicated the war years to the study of the roots of totalitarian thought.  The “Open Society and its Enemies” analysed the contribution, as he saw it, of [[Plato]], [[Hegel]] and [[Marx]] to an anti-rational tribalistic “closed society”.  The closed society was, for Popper, marked by a lack of criticism of established ideas (established societal norms being treated not as societal norms but as “taboo” or “the natural order”) together with a collectivism that subjected the individual to the group goal.  Popper also saw “historicist” views and underpinning much of the thought behind the “closed” society.  “Historicism”, dealt with in “The Poverty of Historicism” and criticised throughout the “Open Society”, both sees historical laws of development and bases much of its morality on these supposed laws.   

In contrast the concept of the "Open Society" reflects Popper's concept of science.  Just as there is no method for generating a true description of a Universal Law there is no method for generating perfect (Utopian) social laws, norms or governmental actions.  Society will always be in a state of less than perfection and may only improve by changing what was previously thought to be the best course of action.  As society can only improve by self-criticism it follows that criticism must not be restricted.   

In contrast the concept of the "Open Society" reflects Popper's concept of science.  Just as there is no method for generating a true description of a Universal Law there is no method for generating perfect (Utopian) social laws, norms or governmental actions.  Society will always be in a state of less than perfection and may only improve by changing what was previously thought to be the best course of action.  As society can only improve by self-criticism it follows that criticism must not be restricted.