In this episode I discuss the distinction between open and closed societies. Although this distinction dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, it is as topical today as it was 100 years ago. The rise of populism and the impact of social media have made a discussion of this distinction urgent again. And there are still numerous countries around the world, which we would regard as closed. So what is an open, as opposed to a closed society? By which criteria should we call a society 'open' or 'closed'? To address these questions, I consider influential ideas of sociologist and philosophers.

Literature:

-K. Popper, The Open Society and Its Enemies (1957, 2 volumes)

-F. von Hayek, The Road to Serfdom (1944/2014)

-A. Giddens, The Consequences of Modernity (1991)

-J. Habermas, Postmetaphysical Thinking (1992)

-F. Weinert, ‘The Open Society Revisited’, in: Social Sciences  2025, 14 (3), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14030118