Karl Mannheim and the Contemporary Sociology of Knowledge

In this book the author argues for the continuing relevance of Karl Mannheim's sociology of knowledge. Maintaining that Mannheim's original development of the sociology of knowledge can be updated using contemporary material, he develops a framework for the analysis of knowledge and belief in contemporary society. The books contains an original interpretation of Mannheim, showing how he relates the production and utilization of beliefs to competitive struggle between social groups. Mannheim's views on relativism and the intellectuals are considered at length Front Matter....Pages i-xii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Text and Context....Pages 3-24 Mannheim’s Sociology of Knowledge....Pages 25-64 Front Matter....Pages 65-65 Problems in Mannheim’s Work....Pages 67-94 Mannheim and the Sociology of Knowledge Today....Pages 95-135 Conclusion: Conservative Thought....Pages 136-148 Back Matter....Pages 149-202