Political Science and Scientific Politics : Studies in Swedish Political Science around 1900

This dissertation deals with the relationship between politics and social science. It studies the field of political science in Sweden around 1900 by analyzing two political scientists: Pontus Fahlbeck (1850–1923) and Rudolf Kjellén (1864–1922). Fahlbeck was Professor of Political Science 1889–1915 in Lund. Kjellén was Professor of Political science 1901–1922 in Gothenburg and Uppsala. Both were also active conservative politicians. The purpose of the dissertation is to analyze how Fahlbeck and Kjellén attempted to change political science by emphasizing its significance to society, and how they simultaneously attempted to use that science to influence politics and society in various ways. I formulate the concept of conservative modernists, to describe how Fahlbeck and Kjellén utilized modern social sciences to try to preserve a conservative society. The thesis consists of four case studies. The first deals with how Fahlbeck and Kjellén described their version of political science, its relation to other disciplines, its utility for society and its position of objectivity. The second and third case studies concern Fahlbecks and Kjelléns attitudes toward the democratization of society. In the fourth case study, I explore the discussions that ensued from a proposed political science exam. My study shows that Fahlbeck and Kjellén consciously strove to prepare the way for a sphere of social sciences. Their vision was a - in their eyes - modern political science that could lead and influence politics to minimize the social and ideological conflicts in society