BLINDSPOT OF A LIBERAL - POPPER AND THE PROBLEM OF COMMUNITY

Popper's critique of the philosophical doctrines underlying totalitari an ideology is powerful. Yet, having the regimes of Hitler and Stalin in full view before him, he did not give full and balanced considerati on to the range of effects these doctrines on have within actually exi sting ideologies and regimes. The ideas he correlates with totalitaria nism can and do exist in benign forms or tempered by other ideas and b y institutions. Moreover, the struggle with totalitarianism is only pa rtly a struggle of philosophical ideas. Political argument and rhetori c appeal to feeling as well as intellect. This tends to be a blindspot of liberalism that often weakens it in the competition with its adver saries.