Frisby, David Patrick (1978) The alienated mind :the emergence of the sociology of knowledge in ...

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Frisby, David Patrick (1978) The alienated mind :the emergence of the
sociology of knowledge in Germany, 1918-33. PhD thesis.

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ý'
THE ALIENATED MIND:
J
The the
emergence of sociology of
knowledge in Germany
(1918-33)
Volume I
David Patrick Frisby
/
0
Submitted in fulfilment
the Department Sociology
partial of of
requirements for the awarding of the Glasgow University
degree Doctor Philosophy
of of October, 1978
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Since this thesis the library debt
embodies results of research, my major
be to the following libraries their their facilities
must and staff who made
available to me: University of Glasgow Library; British Library of Political
and Economic Science; Stadt Universitätsbibliothek, Frankfurt Main;
und am
Universitätsbibliothek Konstanz the Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg.
and
I to thank the the Universitätsarchiv Heidelberg for to
wish staff of access
Karl Mannheim's files Dr. K. Witte the the Schiller
personal and and staff of
Nationalbibliothek, Marbach/Neckar for to by
access an unpublished study
Siegfried Kracauer Georg Simmel.
on
I to the following for their Professor David Kettler
am grateful assistance:
(Trent University) for to two Mannheim
making available me unpublished
'Siebeck
drafts his Mannheim; Dr.
manuscripts as well as of own study of
(Mohr Verlag, Tübingen) for to his
allowing me consult archives.
I to thank the Leverhulme Trust for European
also wish awarding me a
Faculty Fellowship to investigate the
which enabled me methodological as-
,
the knowledge the Universities Iwnstanz
pects of sociology of whilst at of and
Heidelberg during the 1976 1977 In this
summers of and respectively.
(Konstanz)
I to Professor Horst Baler Professor
connection, am grateful and
Wolfgang (Heidelberg)
Schluchter for their hospitality.
encouragement and
Finally, I to the John Eldridge during
wish acknowledge of
encouragement
the writing of the final draft of this study, and to thank Tannia McLaren for
the task typing the David Frisby
onerous of whole manuscript.
Glasgow
September,
1978
C ONTENTS
Vol.
Introduction
Pages 1-24
Chapter One Antecedents & Context
25-71
Chapter Two Max Schaler
72-157
Chapter Three Georg Lukäcs
158-273
Vol. II
Chapter Four Karl Mannheim 1-151
Chapter Five Debates
152-253
Chapter Six Some Problems in the 254-303
Sociology Knowledge
of
Conclusion
304-308
Bibliography
309-318
SUMMARY
The following to the
study seeks examine emergence and development of the
sociology of knowledge in Germany in the period from 1918 to 1933. Particu-
lar is the distinctive features this tradition
emphasis placed upon of and upon
three figures
central connected with this tradition Max Scheler, Georg Lukäcs
-
and Karl Mannheim. The theoretical the
and practical context within which
diverse this tradition investigated in to in
strands of emerged are order show,
the to the the knowledge
part, extent which central problems of sociology of
located in Germany.
were within philosophical, sociological and practical crises
In the Scheler, Lukäcs Mannheim, it is that they devel-
case of and argued all
knowledge ideology
oped a sociology of or a critique of out of an earlier con-
in instances, the
corn with a sociology of culture and, some with crisis of
Furthermore it is that it is to fully
modern culture. argued not possible com-
their knowledge ideology taking into
prehend sociology of or critique of without
the intentions these In this in-
account meta-theoretical of writers. part,
Lenk has termed the 'tragic
voives an examination of what consciousness' of
Weimar the thesis the 'powerlessness
sociology and, more specifically of of
the (Schaler) the 'homelessness the (Mannheim). The
mind' and of mind'
inclusion Lukäcs the this tradition in the
of within context of sociology of
knowledge the issue the between the
necessarily raises of relationship
knowledge the ideology, in terms
sociology of and critique of not merely of
LukacsI to Mannheim but in the Iight the
relationship
also of contemporary
debate
Ideologie
surrounding Utopie. Hence, highlighting
und as a way of
to the
contemporary assessments of and contributions sociology of knowledge,
some attention is devoted to the debates that
and controversies surrounded
this discipline in Weimar Germany.
iv
Finally, the the knowledge that it
some of aims of sociology of suggest was
intended foundation for the It is that this
as a new social sciences. argued
be both in the light the
must understood of methodological preoccupations of
writers like Mannheim and in terms of earlier methodological controversies.
In turn, it is that, this level, there are some affinities between
suggested at
in Germany
this aspect of the sociology of knowledge and more recent attempts
to the
ground social sciences.
/
0
INTRODUCTION
%I
i
I
INTRODUCTION
The the knowledge in Germany 1918
emergence of sociology of after repre-
the development important tradition in this
sents of an area of sociology.
This field investigation in Germany the First World War
of which emerged after
termed 'Erkenntnissoziologie', 'Soziologie des Erkennens',
and was variously
des
'Soziologie des Denkens', 'Soziologie des Wissens', 'Soziologie
Geistes', 'Wissenssoziologie', developed in
and, most commonly, a manner
j istinct from that traditions in this discipline. It be
cannot
quite of other
that the the German knowledge
argued problems which sociology of confront-
in the Weimar in Germany. Other to
ed originated period attempts establish
knowledge had been, by Durkhe1m his foI Iowersi
a sociology of already made and
2
by Pareto. The tradition, broadly
and elements of another contemporary, may
3
also be traced in the writings of Thomas, 0 ooley and Mead. When attent-
.
ion is drawn to the problem of ideology, which certainly forms a central focus
to The
of the German tradition, any claim originality must remain weak.
discussion the the between knowledge
general of problem of relationship and
be traced back to the by Bacon, Vico,
society may certainly contributions made
4
Helvotius Within Germany itself, the discussion ideology,
and others. of
in the development this tradition, to
which plays a crucial role of only came
S
the fore the Hegel Marx.
after writings of and, more especially,
If
However, the German knowledge does develop
sociology of not merely out of
these earlier writers. There linear development from Bacon
exists no simple
through Marx to the German knowledge history ideas
sociology of as a naive of
2
to the development the discipline Rather, these
approach of would suggest.
the German tradition the knowledge faced
writers within of sociology of were
distinctive both theoretical they
with problems practical and which attemp-
- -
ted to Like theoretical development these
solve. any other new writers comm-
from theoretical frameworks though they
enced earlier or paradigms even
to their In they did
sought establish own conceptual realm. other words, not
the theoretical but
read works of earlier writers within a social and vacuum
distinctive Any to for the distinctiveness
within a context. attempt account
the German knowledge this
of sociology of must examine context.
The knowledge distinctive discipline in Germany
sociology of as a emerged
the the First World War the German Revolution.
shortly after end of and
Scheler's 'Die Geschichtsphilosophie des Wissens
articles positivistische
die Aufgaben Soziologie der Erkenntnis'6 'Weltanschauungen,
und einer and
Weltanschauungslehre Wissenssoziologie'7 and Wilhelm Jerusalem's
und
'Soziologie des Erkennens'8 all appeared in 1921. Lukäcs' collection of
Geschichte Klassenbewusstsein9 appeared in Berlin in 1923,
essays, und
Marxism
though the key[to]essays on orthodox and class consciousness were
the
written in 1919 and 1920 respectively, whiist essay on reification was com-
in 1922. Karl Mannheim's first major article to be published- in
pleted
fact his doctoral dissertation, 'Die Strukturanalyse der Erkenntnistheorie'
-
in 1922.10 Grünwald, the to
appeared only writer systematically examine
the field, is therefore in that 'The the World
correct suggesting epoch after
War in the period between 1921 and 1924 can be designated as the point of
time in the knowledge
which sociology of was gradually constituted as a
distinctive discipline. 111 These writings followed by the
were
early more
3
Max Scheler In his Schriften
substantial contributions of collection of essays
Soziologie Weltanschauungslehre in 1923 1924,12
zur und which appeared and
in his Versuche Soziologie des Wissens in 192413
edited collection zu einer
Die Wissensformen die Gesellschaft in 1926.14 None Lukäcs'
and und of
later in this decade had the impact History Class Conscious-
works same as and
though his 'Moses Hess die Probleme der idealistischen Dial-
ness essay und
15
in 1926 Is Mannheim's in
ektik' published worthy of mention. major work
this Ideologie Utopie, in 1929.16 From around 1924 on-
period.. und appeared
the the knowledge increased and
wards, number of essays on sociology of
1930, largely the
reached a peak around as a result of controversy surrounding
I
in Ger-
Mannh'eim's Ideologie Utopie. Thus the knowledge
und sociology of
be to definite time from 1920
many may seen occupy a circumscribed period
to 1933.
It is true to that tradition in the knowledge
probably say no other sociology of
17
in In Lukäcs'
created such controversy sociology and philosophy. case,
this be to the the his S
statement can extended political sphere, as critique,, of
18
in this testify. Yet there two
major work period at present exist only
the the knowledge in Germany, both
studies of emergence of sociology of
from in but
written perspectives which are no way comprehensive rather are
in limited.
some ways
The first, the two, is the by Ernst Grünwald, Das Problem
and older of work
der Soziologie des Wissens, in 1934.19 Grünwald does dis-
which appeared
cuss the development of the sociology in Germany during the Weimar but
era
his is largely in terms intellectual history does
account of and not attempt an