The illusion of an open society

Abstract

Creating an open society depends on having the proper social ontology. Most often the focus is on individualism and the adoption of market social imagery. The result of this strategy is often social divisions and conflict, with many persons lamenting the demise of the common good. But this vacillation between the individual and the collective overlooks a source of order--referred to by Martin Buber as the in-between--that is compatible with generating an open society. As a result of this omission, most proposals for an open society lack vitality and a creative vision.