1st Edition
What is the Sociology of Philosophy? Studies of Swedish and Scandinavian Philosophy
This book introduces the sociology of philosophy as a research field, asking what can be gained by looking at the discipline of philosophy from a sociological perspective and how to go about doing it, as presented through three case studies of 20th-century Swedish and Scandinavian philosophy.
After a general introduction to the topic including its brief history and central concepts, the case studies tackle questions such as how the crucial distinction between analytical and Continental philosophy came to be established in Sweden, how the Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess worked out in his early philosophy an approach to dealing with the cultural trauma of the Second World War and the Nazi occupation, and how professional philosophical careers were built in postwar Sweden. The authors then take a forward look, suggesting where the field might go from here and what its future key areas might be.
This volume will appeal to scholars and students in sociology, philosophy, intellectual history, and Scandinavian studies.
1. What is the sociology of philosophy?: A brief history and basic concepts
Carl-Göran Heidegren and Henrik Lundberg
2. Two kinds of philosophy: The making of a philosophical fact
Carl-Göran Heidegren
3. Philosophy as the handmaiden of democracy: Arne Naess’s proposal for reform of the philosophicum degree from a cultural sociology perspective
Henrik Lundberg
4. How to become a forgotten Swedish philosopher: A sociological study of Folke Leander’s intellectual interventions, 1937–1945
Henrik Lundberg
5. A look ahead
Carl-Göran Heidegren and Henrik Lundberg
Biography
Carl-Göran Heidegren is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Lund University, Sweden and has a Ph.D. in History of Science and Ideas. His research has focused on the sociology of knowledge/philosophy and recognition theory.
Henrik Lundberg is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. His research has primarily been within the field of sociology of knowledge/philosophy.
"Heidegren and Lundberg provide a comprehensive overview of the maturing field of sociology of philosophy. Applying these tools to historic shifts in Scandinavian philosophy reveals the connections between local and global dynamics of intellectual contention and hegemony. This dialectic will no doubt become more intense in the electronic world of the 21st century, making their work a springboard to studies of intellectual life everywhere."
Randall Collin, University of Pennsylvania, US
"This is a highly accomplished sociological study of the distinctive trajectory of Scandinavian philosophy in the twentieth century. Drawing on positioning theory and cultural trauma theory, Heidegren and Lundberg explore relevant contextual factors such as the Second World War. They also investigate why some philosophers fail to make an impact whilst others flourish. This is sociology of philosophies at its best."
Patrick Baert, Cambridge University, UK
