Synthese· 2026Q1
Sustaining the open society: resources from Popperian science
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- 2026year
Short summary
Dogmatic individuals, often excluded from open societies, are argued to be essential for liberal progress and the sustainment of the open society, drawing on Karl Popper's philosophy of science.
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Key points
- Open society liberalism faces challenges in defining inclusion boundaries.
- Popper and other liberal theorists have historically excluded dogmatic individuals.
- Popper's philosophy of science viewed dogmatic individuals as crucial for scientific progress.
- The paper argues for including 'closed society individuals' to foster liberal progress.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Open society liberalism has experienced a revival in the 21st century, prominently led by Gerald Gaus. Despite its growing popularity, however, the boundaries of whose moral and political perspectives ought to be included remain underspecified. Its most famous early defender, Popper, thought that unreasonable individuals, such as those who hold to beliefs dogmatically, should be excluded from the open society. A belief not unusual among other liberal theorists. However, what these open society theorists miss is a possible underutilized resource that comes from Popper’s philosophy of science. Within science, Popper believed that dogmatic individuals were necessary and important for scientific progress. Using this resource, I argue that Popper himself and other open society theorists in general should be more inclusive and tolerant of closed society individuals, including dogmatic religious individuals, because they allow for liberal progress and the sustainment of the open society.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Synthese, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: History and Philosophy of Science
History and Philosophy of ScienceArts and Humanities