Abstract: This article puts forward a comparison between Bergson’s and Popper’s theories of closed and open societies. If Popper himself points to a similarity between their respective théories of closed societies, he also insists on the contrast between their visions of open societies. But how could two similar conceptions of the closed society give rise to two opposing conceptions of the open society? Without seeking to deny the tensions here, this article will show that Bergon and Popper’s respective analyses of open and closed societies are in both cases complementary.
