Jun 23, 2021
In this episode of The Liberal Soul I take a little detour down
a Karl Popper path and discuss a section from his book The Open
Society And Its Enemies. There is an incredible section of that
book where Popper dissects the difference between individualism and
egoism; and how Plato conflated them for his own propaganda. By
equating individualism with egoism, Plato made it easy to dismiss
as uncaring, selfish, and without interest in altruism. Popper
points out a simple error in logic from Plato that leads to this
(intentional?) misunderstanding.
Popper points out that individualism in the philosophic sense is
contrasted against collectivism, not altruism. By stating that
individualism is a synonym of egoism, Plato forgoes the
responsibility of arguing the merits or demerits of collectivism
(which is unsurprising given his totalitarian ambitions discussed
in The Republic). In this formulation, Popper argues that a person
can be a Individualist Altruist (caring for the wellbeing of
individual people). This is the idea I explore in this episode.
In this episode I talk about:
- The example of the individualist - altruist in the figure of Charles Dickens
- The phenomenon of NIMBY (not in my back yard), and the longer, deeper, further and harder work it actually is to help people who are struggling and suffering.
- Pericles sense of justice vs. Plato's.
- Music and the arts as a prime example of the benefit and need for individualism
- How the quirky individual is no good for a collectivist culture or state
- Some quotes from Plato demonstrating his intentional dishonesty
- Some of the totalitarian ideas in Christianity inherited from Plato
- And how individualism isn't just an abstract idea to make it work; it needs to be alive in the hearts of people.