Värderingarna och vetenskapen : vetenskapsteoretiska föreställningar i svenska vänsterakademiska tidskrifter 1967-1969

Sammanfattning: This thesis analyses theories of science expressed in Swedish publications grounded in leftist academia, and left-wing student circles, Zenit and Häften för kritiska studier [Notes on Critical Studies] during the years of 1967-1969. Based in constellation research constructed by philosopher Dieter Henrich, the essay reconstructs two separate constellations in leftist academia at the time: the Althusserian constellation respectively the revisionist constellation. The analysis shows that the two constellations mutually sprung out of the New Left which arose in the 1960s, and shared a critique of the positivistic theory of science dominating academia at the time. Impacted by the philosophy of Louis Althusser, the publication Zenit started emphasizing science as having a status of objectiveness, in contrast to the theory of science held by the revisionists. This prompted a second phase of debates for the two constellations, as theory of science was regarded by both constellations as being of not just scientific importance, but as well of great political bearing. The essay concludes that the critique against established academia was vital in challenging a fixed theoretical dogma regarding the view, and the practices, of science – but that the debate between the two constellations soon ended up in a frozen conflict with closed positions.