Mellan kritisk vetenskap och revolutionär teori : Den marxistiska samhällsvetenskapens utformning i Häften för Kritiska Studier 1968-1971

The later part of the 1960's was the period when philosophy, science theory and social science influenced by marxism were introduced in the Swedish academic world. This development was closely connected to the radical student's movement and the international "new left". In Sweden, the primary forum for marxist social science was the journal Häften för Kritiska Studier, published by the independent political group Unga Filosofer from 1968 and onwards. During 1968-1969, a discussion took place between Swedish intellectuals, most of them socialists, if not explicitly marxists, concerning the theories of the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas and the "critical theory" of the so-called Frankfurt school of marxist social science. The discussion was partly triggered by the publication of Swedish science theorist Gerard Radnitzky's dissertation Contemporary Scools of Metascience (1968), in which the thought of Jürgen Habermas was for the first time presented to the Swedish academic world in a systematic and comprehensive way. This essay studies the above mentioned discussion, set against the background of the general ideologial and theoretical development which can be seen in the editorials of Häften för Kritiska Studier during 1968-1971. During this period, a general development took place in which the different leftist groups of the 1968 student's and political movements became more radical and outspokenly marxist-leninist in their views. This development is found to be reflected in the editorials. Furthermore, the results of the essay demonstrate that the discussion studied was a largely polemic and ideologically motivated one, in which the actual theories of Jürgen Habermas, the Frankfurt school and "critical theory" were not as central as might have been expected. The concept "critical theory" seems to have been used as a popular term, signifying the ideal of a democratically conscious social science among the new left and the student's movements less radical elements. It was criticized by marxist-leninists for being an idealistic dream, removed from marxist theory, which would only lead to revisionism and bourgeoise resistance against the true revolutionary movement