'If in this book harsh words are spoken about some of the greatest among the int
ellectual leaders of mankind, my motive is not, I hope, to belittle them. It spr
ings rather from my conviction that, if our civilization is to survive, we must
break with the habit of deference to great men.' - Karl Popper, from the Preface
Written in political exile during the Second World War and first published in t
wo volumes in 1945, Karl Popper's The Open Society and Its Enemies is one of the
most influential books of all time. Hailed by Bertrand Russell as a 'vigorous a
nd profound defence of democracy', its now legendary attack on the philosophies
of Plato, Hegel and Marx exposed the dangers inherent in centrally planned polit
ical systems and through underground editions become an inspiration to lovers of
freedom living under communism in Eastern Europe.
Popper's highly accessible
style, his erudite and lucid explanations of the thoughts of great philosophers
and the recent resurgence of totalitarian regimes around the world are just thr
ee of the reasons for the enduring popularity of The Open Society and Its Enemie
s and why it demands to be read today and in years to come.
