Karl Popper attacked the historicism of ?

Correct option is B

Karl Popper, in his seminal work "The Open Society and Its Enemies", critiques the historicism of philosophers like Plato and Hegel. Historicism is the belief that history unfolds according to certain laws or a predetermined pattern. Popper rejected this idea, arguing that it limits individual freedom and justifies authoritarian regimes.

Popper's criticism:

1. Plato: He criticized Plato's idea of an ideal society governed by philosopher-kings, which Popper saw as totalitarian and anti-democratic.
2. Hegel: Popper attacked Hegel's dialectical method and his concept of history as the unfolding of an absolute spirit, which he believed supported authoritarianism.
3. Popper argued that such deterministic views of history undermined human agency and fostered closed, oppressive societies.

Key Points:

1. Karl Popper coined the term "historicism" to critique deterministic and teleological views of history.
2. He believed in the unpredictability of history and championed open societies governed by democratic principles.
3. Popper's views were a defense of liberal democracy against authoritarianism.

Information Booster:

• Plato and Aristotle: While both philosophers have influenced political thought, Popper's criticism was primarily aimed at Plato, not Aristotle.
• Plato and Machiavelli: Machiavelli's political realism was not central to Popper's critique.
• Machiavelli and Marx: Popper criticized Marx in a separate context for his deterministic view of history but did not group him with Machiavelli.

Additional Information:

• Popper's "The Open Society and Its Enemies" is a foundational text in political philosophy, defending democracy and critical thinking.
• Historicism, according to Popper, poses a threat to individual liberty by promoting the idea that history's trajectory is fixed and inevitable.