The open society as an enemy : a critique of how free societies turned against themselves / J. McKenzie Alexander.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Alexander, J. McKenzie, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cosmopolitanism.

Transparency (Ethics).

Freedom of expression.

Communitarianism.

Culture conflict.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 359 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London : LSE Press, 2024.

Summary:

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 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.

Contents:

Introduction

Part I. Don’t come around here no more : the cosmopolitan conception of the Open Society

1. Consider the wall

2. You should have picked different parents

3. The room where it happens

4. Go your own way

5. It’s the economy, stupid

6. Nowhere, man

7. Concluding remarks

Part II. The panopticon of the soul : the transparent conception of the Open Society

8. The book of life

9. Unwanted inferences

10. Lifting the veil

11. Letting it all hang out

12. Don’t you forget about me

13. Returning to the past

14. We’ll be watching you

15. Concluding remarks

Part III. Safe spaces: the Enlightenment conception of the Open Society

16. Generation Wuss?

17. Trigger warnings

18. Safe spaces

19. No-platforming

20. Concluding remarks

Part IV. Modern tribes : the communitarian conception of the Open Society

21. Joshua’s question

22. On polarisation

23. Social identity, in-group bias, and norms

24. The psychology of modern tribes

25. Authenticity and the WINOs

26. Intersectionality

27. Epistemic closure and extreme groups

28. The collision of horizons

29. Concluding remarks

We can work it out.

Notes:

This book is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution + Noncommercial + NoDerivatives 4.0 license. Copyright is retained by the author(s).

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Other Format:

Print version:

ISBN:

9781911712275

9781911712282

9781911712299

OCLC:

1555346242

Access Restriction:

Unrestricted online access