The political philosophy of Jaspers and Popper

This project will be the first comparative analysis of the political philosophy of Karl Jaspers and Karl R. Popper. Both thinkers are two of the most important philosophers and humanists of the 20th. century. Their anti-totalitarian, liberal and democratic worldviews can be important also for the 21st. century because of their well grounded arguments against authoritarian thought-patterns and totalitarian political opinions. 1.) The first section is indented as an introduction to basic ideas of Jaspers`s and Poppers political philosophy. 2.) The main emphasis of this research is focused on the second section which will compare the influence of the biographical background of Jaspers and Popper to their political philosophy, and the main ideas of their political thinking. These ideas will be critically examined, and the similarities and differences of their political thoughts will be stressed. 3.) The third section will concentrate on the classification and the topicality of the political philosophy of Jaspers and Popper. The first part of this section deals with the classification of their political thinking in the context of current political philosophy. In this context special emphasis will be given to the liberalism-communitarianism- debate. The focus of the second part is the history of the effects, as well as the topicality of Jaspers`s and Popper`s political philosophy. The project will concentrate on a sophisticated exposition of the following topics of the political philosophy of Jaspers and Popper: (a) the essential anti-totalitarian, anti-dogmatic and anti-holistic features of the political philosophy of both thinkers, (b) their understanding of democracy, (c) their basic views of main topics of social philosophy (e.g. freedom, equality, justice), (d) the comparison between Popper`s conception of "social piecemeal-engineering" and Jaspers`s idea of the necessity of a radical moral and political "conversion" (Umkehr), (e) a comparison of their philosophy of history and their timecritical view on the political situation, (f) the question of the relations between politics, morality, political and democratic education and economy in the political thinking of the two philosophers. In this project the development of the political thinking of Jaspers and Popper will be taken into account, as well as the influence of others on their political philosophy. It is also essential to analyse the political thoughts of Jaspers and Popper in the context of their philosophy as a whole. The final part of the project will mainly consist of some evaluative reflections on the topicality of the political philosophy of Jaspers and Popper. There will be given special emphasis to the liberalism-comrnunitarianism-debate and the question of the relevance of Jaspers`s and Popper`s political philosophy in the context of this debate, and how their position can be classified.

In the course of this project, the first extensive comparison of Karl Jaspers` and Karl Raimund Popper`s political ideas was carried out. Although both Jaspers and Popper are representatives of different schools of thought, the project made it possible to show many parallels of their political thoughts without forgetting to work out crucial differences. Concerning the significant congruencies, it turned out in the course of the project that for both philosophers a liberal basic attitude, obliged to enlightenment, is predominant. Emphasizing individual freedom as the most important values of social policy is also connected to this. The strong influence of enlightenment is particularly reflected by the significance of Kant`s philosophy which crystallized to be fundamental for the political thoughts of both philosophers. Also the basic assumption that in principle human reason is fallible and the rejection of absolute claims of validity which is derived from this proved to be fundamental for Jaspers` and Popper`s political philosophy. By this, the anti-totalitarian, anti-dogmatic, and anti-holistic basic attitude, which was typical for both thinkers, can be explained, their fundamental belief in democracy and in avoiding radical, revolutionary changes going along with this. But in the course of the project there also occurred important differences in the field of both thinkers ideas on democracy. For example, Popper mostly deals with the function of democracy and with those institutions which are necessary for its existence while Jaspers asks about the character of democracy. Popper`s more pragmatic, theory of institution-orientated direction and Jaspers` political philosophy, rather aiming for individual moral attitudes, are also reflected by the project`s comparison of Popper`s model of social reform (social piecemeal engineering) and Jaspers` radical moral and political conversion which he thought to be necessary for a democratic change of society. Furthermore, catching up for the first time Jaspers` and Popper`s political philosophies in the context of the debate on liberalism-communism was important for the project. The insights produced by the project make well-founded and differentiated criticism of both neo-liberal ideologies and anti- liberal, fundamentalist ideologies possible. From this, valuable guidelines for political education can be developed as necessary in the 21st century for defending social-liberal basic values of a pluralistic-democratic society.