OPEN SOCIETY

"..one of best senses of "reason" and "reasonableness" was openness to criticism--readiness to be criticized, and eagerness to criticize oneself; and I tired to argue that this critical attitude of reasonableness should be extended as far as possible. ...Implicit in this attitude is the realization that we shall always have to live in an imperfect society. This is not only because even very good people are very imperfect; nor is it because, obviously, we ofen make mistakes cecuase we do not know enough; even more important than either of these reasons is the fact that there always exist irresolvable clashes of values: there are many moral problems which are insoluble becaue moral principles conflict.

There can be no human society without conflict; such a society would be a society not of friends but of ants. Even if it were attainable, there are human values of the greatest importance which would be destroyed by its attaiment, and which therefore should prevent us from attempting to bring it about. On the other hand, we certainly ought to bring about a reduction of conflict. .... clashes of values and principles may be valuable, and indeed essential to open society."

~Karl Popper, Intellectual Autobiography.~

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