T/R
Open and
closed society
T. Tomiris Y. Adel K. Aruzhan S.Zhulduz
Definition
01
Open society-is a term which describes a dynamic system
inclined to moral universalism
OPEN SOCIETY-IS A TERM WHICH DESCRIBES A DYNAMIC SYSTEM INCLINED TO MORAL
UNIVERSALIS
AFTER BERGSON, THE CONCEPT WAS DEVELOPED IN DETAIL BY KARL POPPER IN THE OPEN
SOCIETY AND ITS ENEMIES, PUBLISHED IN 1945, WHERE HE COMBINED THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE
OPEN SOCIETY WITH HIS PHILOSOPHY OF CRITICAL RATIONALISM.
AN OPEN SOCIETY IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF K. POPPER IS COMPLETELY DEMOCRATIC. ITS
MEMBERS ARE CRITICAL OF TABOOS, MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON THEIR OWN INTELLIGENCE
AND CRITICAL THINKING, AS WELL AS ON THE BASIS OF AGREEMENTS REACHED IN THE PROCESS
OF DISCUSSION. SUCH A SOCIETY IS NOT UNRESTRICTED CAPITALISM, BUT IT IS NOT BASED ON
MARXISM OR ANARCHISM EITHER: IT IS AN INDEPENDENT VERSION OF DEMOCRACY.
Definition
02
A CLOSED SOCIETY IS A SOCIETY CHARACTERISTIC OF A TRIBAL
SYSTEM, RELATIONS WITHIN WHICH ARE REGULATED BY A SYSTEM OF
TABOOS.
.
A CLOSED SOCIETY IS A SOCIETY CHARACTERISTIC OF A TRIBAL SYSTEM, RELATIONS WITHIN
WHICH ARE REGULATED BY A SYSTEM OF TABOOS. THE TABOO SYSTEM IS DESCRIBED AS A SET OF
LAWS RESEMBLING THE LAWS OF NATURE - THEIR ABSOLUTE APPLICABILITY AND IMPOSSIBILITY
TO BREAK THEM. IN SUCH A SOCIETY, THE INDIVIDUAL ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT IS RIGHT AND
WHAT IS WRONG AND HAS NO DIFFICULTY IN CHOOSING THE RIGHT BEHAVIOR. CLOSED
SOCIETIES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY RIGID DIVISIONS INTO CLASSES AND CASTES. THIS DIVISION
IS JUSTIFIED BY MEMBERS OF A CLOSED SOCIETY BY ITS "NATURALNESS".
How did the
open and
closed
society
come about?
With the development of trade and navigation,
different tribes with different taboo systems
began to come into contact, and it became clear
that social laws are not absolute. An
understanding of the essential difference
between the laws of nature (for example, the law
according to which the Sun rises every day) and
social laws has developed. People have learned
to understand that taboos can be broken
without any consequences, the main thing is not
to be caught by fellow tribesmen.This upheaval
in people's minds led to a revolution that is still
going on - the revolution of transition to an
"open" society. A society in which the individual
relies on his understanding of the correctness of
actions, in which social competition is
permissible
How did the
open and
closed
society
come about?
According to Popper, Plato's ideas about
government arose as a reaction to the danger of
the unpredictability of the path taken by Greek
society with the development of trade,
navigation, land scarcity and the emergence of
new colonies. Plato saw human happiness and
justice in building a "closed" society and, in this
regard, was severely criticized by Popper.
Popper, in particular, argued that Plato's ideas
are essentially indistinguishable from
totalitarianism, despite its pursuit of the highest
public good. Popper generally came to the
conclusion that any ideas based on bringing
society to some kind of general public good, one
way or another lead to violence.
How is a closed society
different from an open one?
The differences became apparent in the post-war period. This was due
mainly to political reasons. The Western world represented mainly open
societies, the East - on the contrary. But a similar division, as well as a
mixture of these two types, can be noticeable in our time. One can mention
most of the Arab and African developing countries as a good example of
more closed societies, and the US and Western European countries as an
example of more open ones.
Following Popper's theory, Gebert
and Burner distinguish between open
and closed societies based on 3
different dimensions:
01
ANTHROPOLOGICALTHE ANTHROPOLOGICAL
DIMENSION CONCERNS THE
QUESTION OF WHETHER A PERSON
IS A SUBJECT OR AN OBJECT. TO
WHAT EXTENT IS HE ABLE TO
INFLUENCE SOCIETY AND ITS
STRUCTURES?
02
SOCIALSOCIAL DESCRIBES THE POSITION OF
THE INDIVIDUAL IN SOCIETY. DOES IT
DETERMINE WHETHER THERE ARE
PREDETERMINED SOCIAL POSITIONS
OF ITS MEMBERS, WHETHER
INDIVIDUAL ONES ARE REALIZED IN
THEMSELVES OR ARE THEY PART OF
THE WHOLE?
03
COGNITIVETHE FOCUS OF THE COGNITIVE
DIMENSION IS THE FALLIBILITY OR
INFALLIBILITY OF HUMAN
COGNITION. THESE CRITERIA MAKE
IT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AN OPEN
SOCIETY AND A CLOSED SOCIETY.
Advantages/Disadvantages
Open society
The potential advantages of the open type are belief in the
manageability of society and its processes, freedom, equal chances
for the development of its participants, innovation and the constant
search for better solutions while allowing access to different ideas.
Disadvantages can be loss of control over society and its members,
lack of orientation, power struggles, selfishness, and longevity of
solutions.
Advantages/Disadvantages
Closed society
Social stability, obedience, protection from failure, harmony in relationships
and certainty of orientation are some of the main advantages of closed
societies.
They also have their drawbacks, such as the dogmatism of the ideology, the
rigidity of the social system and the position of its members, and, as a result,
the dissatisfaction.
Thank you!