A Decade late: George Soros and "self-evident" truths

Ok Ok. So Soros said this nearly 10 years ago and I am only now getting round to poking a stick at it.

The principles of the open society are admirably put forth in the Declaration of Independence. But the Declaration states, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident,' whereas the principles of the open society are anything but self-evident; they need to be established by convincing arguments. (emphasis in original text- ed.)"

My memory is a bit fuzzy; didn't someone once make a comment about ideas and systems of government that require an intellectual elite to understand?