Popper, political philosophy, and social democracy: Reply to Eidlin

Jeremy Shearmur*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    3 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The later thought of Karl Popper - notably, his ideas about traditions and his "modified essentialism" in the philosophy of natural science - should lead to revisions in the political philosophy set out in The Open Society and Its Enemies. The structural approach allowed for by Popper's modified essentialism, and the delicate nature of traditions, buttress certain issues raised by Friedrich Hayek that pose serious problems for Popper's social-democratic approach to politics. Fred Eidlin's review essay on my Political Thought of Karl Popper misses these problems, and in general underestimates the difficulties that unintended consequences pose for any non-utopian theory of politics. Thus, Eidlin uncritically cites Popper's abstract political recognition of unintended consequences and his idealized view of the political process, as if that puts to rest the questions my book asks.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)361-376
    Number of pages16
    JournalCritical Review
    Volume18
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2006

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