Sir Karl Popper, for whom the Karl Popper Debate Program
is named, is well known for his important contributions to the philosophy
of science, political theory, and sociology. With his 1945 book The
Open Society and Its Enemies, Popper is responsible for popularizing
the notion of "open society" a concept which would come to have a significant
influence on the philosophy that underpins George Soros's philanthropic
activities.
Simply stated, an open society is a form of social organization
based on the recognition that nobody has a monopoly on the truth, that
different people have different views and interests, and that there is
a need for institutions to protect the rights of all people to allow them
to live together in peace. As becomes apparent from this definition, debate
is an integral component of an open society.
Born in Vienna in 1902, Popper was educated at the University
of Vienna where he earned a Ph.D in 1928. In the late 1930s, Popper left
Vienna to teach at the University of New Zealand at Christchurch. In 1946
he was invited to teach at the London School of Economics (LSE), where
he became Professor of Logic and Scientific Method. He was knighted in
1972, and became a Companion of Honour in 1982. Popper was a fellow of
the Royal Society and a fellow of the British Academy, of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences, and of other national and international academies.
It was while pursuing a Masters degree at LSE that George
Soros first came into close contact with Popper and his ideas. While he
did not study directly under the philosopher, Soros submitted several essays
to Popper for his consideration and review. In 1962, well after he had
finished his studies, Soros wrote a philosophical treatise entitled, "The
Burden of Consciousness." Soros sent this work to Popper, who was extremely
supportive and encouraging of Soros's ideas. Their association continued,
growing closer over the years. In June 1994, Popper delivered a lecture
at the Central European Univeristy in Prague, which Soros had established
as a intellectual center to promote the ideals of open society in Eastern
Europe and the former Soviet Union.
In addition to The Open Society and Its Enemies,
Popper's major published works include The Logic of Scientific Discovery,
The Poverty of Historicism, Conjectures and Refutations, Objective Knowledge,
Realism and the Aim of Science, and The Open Universe. Karl
Popper died in September 1994.
For more information on Karl Popper, see the Karl
Popper Web Site.
