What is the Sociology of 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.