The Enduring “Strain of Civilization”: How Popper’s Open Society Explains the Allure of Populism and Why It Is No Mere Passing Threat

• In Event: Populism, the People and the Law

Brief Overview

Karl Popper argued that democracy, individualism, and freedom create a “strain of civilization,” which in turn stokes desire for a return to “closed societies.” Popper’s analysis sheds light on the allure of recent authoritarian populist movements.

Author

• William Arthur Gorton, University of Wisconsin–Madison