| 11. |
- Norris, Matthew
(author)
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A Pilgrimage to the Past : Johannes Bureus and the Rise of Swedish Antiquarian Scholarship, 1600-1650
- 2016
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- At the end of the eighteenth century, Edward Gibbon described the antiquarian scholars of previous generations as men of “profound learning and easy faith.” His exemplar was the Swedish polymath Olof Rudbeck, who in a series of frantic and combative tomes sought to portray Sweden as the model for Plato’s Atlantis and the seething cultural cauldron from which Western civilization had emerged. A Pilgrimage to the Past takes a century-wide step back and investigates the wellspring of a number of Rudbeck’s ideas and methods in the scholarly milieu surrounding Johannes Bureus (1568–1652), archivist, alchemist, self-proclaimed herald of the Apocalypse, and Sweden’s first antiquarius regni. The book follows Bureus and his contemporaries on a whirlwind scholarly expedition traversing through thrilling new discoveries and debilitating dead-ends, set against the backdrop of a world in which the vision of antiquity served as a virtual battleground on which the spiritual and intellectual convictions of a divided and gradually transforming Europe came to blows. In the process, it reminds us that the past has always been both a challengingly foreign and deceptively familiar place. Chapter One serves as a general introduction to Bureus and early modern antiquarianism. Chapter Two begins with an overview of Bureus’ early life and education, and proceeds to chart his lifelong engagement with astronomical, astrological, and cosmological questions, introducing a number of the key components of his thought, and showing how his antiquarian pursuits were firmly embedded in a complex web of broader scientific, philosophical, and spiritual concerns. It then turns to a discussion of his early encounter with the runes and his exploratory documentation of the domestic cultural landscape. Chapter Three explores the challenges attached to the recovery of ancient barbarian culture in the midst of an ongoing Renaissance of classical antiquity, and through a series of case studies, details the ways in which hypothetical reconstruction based on comparative analysis and the creative interpretation of visual and material evidence were methods used to accomplish that goal. Here Bureus’ motives, methods, and conclusions are compared with those of his friend and antiquarian colleague Johannes Messenius (c. 1579–1636). Chapter Four focuses on Bureus’ view of the history of language and writing, and traces the ways in which the project to retrieve and restore ancient Swedish culture fell into conflict with contemporary patriotically-oriented projects waged by Danish and German scholars. The fifth chapter broadens the scope of its predecessor and focuses on Bureus’ enduring quest to understand the place of the language and writing system of his ancestors in relation to the languages and scripts of the ancient Orient. A short epilogue pulls back in order to view the phenomenon of early seventeenth-century Swedish antiquarianism from the vantage point of the longue durée.
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| 12. |
- Pålsson, Carl Magnus
(author)
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Ombyggnad pågår : Lunds tekniska högskola och ingenjörsrollens förändring
- 2003
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This study deals with the transformation of institutions of higher technical education in Sweden. It situates those processes in the context of educational reforms during the second half of the 20th century. Lund Institute of Technology, Lunds tekniska högskola (LTH), is focused upon. It was founded in 1961 as a major addition to the expanding higher education system. As a newly established institution, LTH took its principal values and ideals from the older polytechnics. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the concepts “the polytechnical ideal” and “engineering science” came into use to denote the content and form of the engineering programs. These standards provided a stable ideological core and a common focus for a homogeneous set of stakeholders. Yet, these standards were challenged as the polytechnics became institutions of mass education and as the political influence over the economy and the norms of higher education increased. During the expansion of the education system, coordination of resources and integration of the institutions received top priority. This line of reasoning was especially significant in the fields of science and engineering. In a radical departure from established organizational form, LTH in 1969 therefore was integrated into Lund University. Previously Swedish polytechnics and universities had evolved in relative separation. From the 1970s onward, polytechnics came under pressure to reform their curricula in order to adjust to the attitudes, knowledge, and proficiency of the students. This process is traced in the development of LTH. The mission of the polytechnics also shifted in other respects, e.g. in terms of their role in regional innovation systems. The objective of the polytechnics within the educational system was modified, as was the position of engineers in society. Subsequently, the engineering profession of today has to be informed by a broader range of societal considerations than half a century ago.
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| 13. |
- Sjöström, Jesper
(author)
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Kemicentrum vid Lunds universitet - Perspektiv på organisation och forskning vid Sveriges första storinstitution
- 2007
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Book (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Det är nu 40 år sedan Sveriges första storinstitution, Kemicentrum vid Lunds universitet, bildades 1967. Kemiämnena vid Lunds universitet, kemisektionen vid Lunds Tekniska Högskola och Alnarpsinstitutets mejeriforskning sammanfördes i ett gemensamt byggnadskomplex i norra Lund. Tidigare självständiga institutioner med lång historia och nybildade forskningsinriktningar vid LTH blev nu alla forskningsavdelningar vid en gemensam storinstitution. Denna bok ger en mångsidig beskrivning av Kemicentrum. Bland annat diskuteras vilka faktorer som kan förklara storinstitutionens tillkomst och omvandling över tid. Bokens huvudsakliga fokus ligger på Kemicentrums organisation och forskning.
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| 14. |
- Sundeen, Johan
(author)
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Andelivets agitator : J A Eklund, kristendomen och kulturen
- 2008
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The purpose of this thesis is to study the formation of opinions in issues related to the problem area of Christianity and culture of Public Theologian J A Eklund (1863-1945). The concept of Public Theologian refers to a theologian, who by participating in the cultural debate, strives to convince the public that Christianity is a superior theory of life even in modern society, and of Christianity’s relevance in every area of society. The thesis demonstrates that the issue of the relationship between Christianity and culture is visible throughout most of Eklund’s rich and multifaceted authorship, and can be said to pose a life long problem for him. Many other theologians in his time were also engaged in the issue of Christianity and culture. It was a problem characteristic of the generation. For more than thirty years Spiritual Life (Geistesleben, in german) was Eklund’s ideological signature. To him the concept carries humanistic, idealistic and Christian implications. Spiritual life is a denotation for the superior, free human life as opposed to nature, guided by laws and/or instincts. At times Eklund constrains the concept and gives it a more distinct religious meaning as he, for example, speaks of spiritual life in terms of “human life from above”. One must not thereby be led to believe that Eklund limits spiritual life to the sphere of the church; rather, in contrast he stresses that spiritual life also applies to science and learning, art and literature, customs and traditions, working life etc. Eklund’s use of the concept is highly connected to his interest in the problems pertaining to Christianity and culture. The title of this thesis – Agitator of the Spiritual Life – is explained by Eklund perceiving himself as a cross between a priest and an agitator. It is characteristic to his often unconventional approach and actions in his functions as priest and bishop that he perceived himself as an agitator, a political character who in his time was commonly referred to as the demagogue. The combination of a vehement temper, frequent controversial initiatives and an intensive will to take part in the cultural struggle earned him the name “the polemical Bishop of Karlstad”. The character of Eklund’s public theology, its agitating and often highly polemical mark, has to be put in relation to the intensive debates of the late 19:th century and the early 20:the century, between proponents of different theories of life. The issue of Christianity’s relationship to culture is treated as a group of problems in the thesis. Based on the occurrence of distinct themes in Eklund’s bibliography, a number of sub-problems have been identified. The thesis discusses Eklund’s view of the relationship between: 1) Christianity and science 2) Christianity and humanities 3) Christianity and philosophy 4) Christianity and fiction 5) Christianity and politics/state 6) Christianity and nationalism/ethnicity 7) Christianity and history. Finally it discusses Eklund’s view of Christianity’s standpoint in the issue of war and peace.
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| 15. |
- Tunlid, Anna
(author)
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Ärftlighetsforskningens gränser : Individer och institutioner i framväxten av svensk genetik
- 2004
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In the first part of the 20th century genetics developed into an important research field. The aim of this study is to follow and analyse the transformation of genetics from its origin within an agricultural context to an academic discipline in Sweden (ca. 1900-1960). Mendelism was introduced as a methodology in plant breeding at the plant breeding station in Svalöf during the first decade of the 20th century by Herman Nilsson-Ehle. He was given a personal professorship in genetics at Lund University in 1917, mainly due to his success in improving some economically important crop varieties. This was the first professorship in genetics in Sweden and for long time the only one. During his time as professor, Nilsson-Ehle continued to perform genetic research with close connections to plant breeding. He also founded a strong research school of plant breeders and geneticists interested in more general biological and evolutionary issues. When he retired in 1938, his successor Arne Müntzing decided to break up the close association between plant breeding and genetics and establish genetics as an independent discipline of Lund University. The institutionalization of Swedish genetics can thus be described as a two stage process. In the first stage genetics developed within an agricultural context infused with strong practical interests. This directed the research toward particular problems of great value for society and increased the possibilities for the geneticists to obtain necessary resources. In the second stage the close connection between genetics and plant breeding had to be reconstructed in order to transform genetics into an autonomous academic discpline. In the analysis the concept of boundary-work as introduced by Thomas F. Gieryn is used. As an emerging discipline, genetics was constantly forced to define its territory and border to defend its scientific authority. This was done in different arenas - in the agricultural environment, in the academic system and in society at large - where different characteristics of genetics was emphasized with the overall aim to increase its legitimacy and obtain financial and institutional resources. The transformation of genetics from a practical to a theoretical science supports the idea of a heterogenous scientific landscape in Sweden during the first half of the 20th century, where research was performed in many different contexts and with widely varying aims.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Önnerfors, Andreas
(author)
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Svenska Pommern : kulturmöten och identifikation 1720–1815
- 2003
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Between 1648 and 1815, Swedish-Pomerania, at the Baltic shore, belonged to the crown of Sweden. It was both a part of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation and the Swedish realm. The port town of Stralsund played a key roll in the Swedish economy at the Baltic Sea, whereas the university town of Greifswald was the intellectual centre. On a cultural level, this situation opened up for a double inspiration. This study examines cultural encounters between Sweden and Pomerania and Pomeranian identification towards Sweden in the last century of Swedish reign in the province, 1720-1815. In this mental process, conceptions of history play a key roll. We can distinguish between three different phases of identification, rejection, agreement and idealisation. In the first phase (1720-1740), the ideology of the Swedish Great Power, Gothicism and protestant orthodoxy is represented by the professor of law, Christian Nettelbladt (1696-1775). He fought against what he himself regarded as misconceptions about Swedish history and climate and argued instead in favour of its superiority. Nettelbladt tried to convince the Pomeranians that they belonged to the Nordic culture. But his efforts were rejected. When Nettelbladt left the province, a new generation took its place at the university and a phase of agreement (1740-1780) started. What they had in common with their Swedish colleagues was the admiration for the philosophy of Christian Wolff. By sharing common values, former conflicts were overcome. Through educated journals and societies, areas of contact were created. The press communicated Swedish news, societies on each side of the Baltic Sea elected Swedish and Pomeranian members. Especially the Swedish Order of Freemasons succeeded in building up Lodges in Swedish Pomerania. In literature and historiography, a certain motive of relationship between Pomerania and Sweden was developed. The connection between motherland and province was constitutive for its “happiness”, a common faith was the origin of common fortune. This message was repeated throughout the decades and was a prerequisite of idealisation (1780-1815). A whole generation of writers, artist and historiographers now independently formulated their view upon Sweden and the North. This was a result of a new aesthetics and the severe political development throughout Europe. Especially in the years of the Napoleonic wars, German intellectuals were forced to formulate answers about their identity. Suddenly the Nordic motive became an integral part of the German self-definition. Here, Pomeranian Romanticist played an active roll. After the Vienna Congress, 1815, the last Swedish province became Prussian.
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| 19. |
- Dunér, Ingrid
(author)
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Controlling Destiny : Julian Huxley's Post-Darwinian Evolutionism and the History of Transhumanism
- 2024
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The evolutionary biologist Julian Huxley (1887–1975) attempted to promote a “religion for the future,” which he would come to refer to as Transhumanism. It was Huxley’s firm belief that mankind needed a unifying system of thought that could motivate action and change. Transhumanism was also an attempt to unite a more traditional humanistic view of the human as containing some form of core essence or potential with an evolutionary point of view of humans as a work in progress. Before humans, natural selection had been responsible for the transformation of life. Through its ordering principles and through chance, it had given rise to humankind, which had ushered in a new phase of evolution. It was now time for humans to take charge of the process. Humanity stood on the threshold of yet another critical point in evolution: The consciously purposive phase of evolution. This study explores the history of transhumanism by analyzing how Huxley’s transhumanism develops and why it does at this particular point in time, by placing it firmly within the context of his specific scientific and sociopolitical milieu, starting roughly in the interwar years and stretching over the Second World War to the 1970s. Continuing, the study then focuses on the new transhumanists of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s and investigates continuity in mode of thinking, contributing to a more coherent understanding of transhumanism, its history and of modern projects of human enhancement. By surveying the literature available to the new generation of transhumanists, the study finds and discusses connections between Huxley’s transhumanism and newer versions of it. Huxley—along with likeminded future-oriented thinkers of his generation helped naturalize a way of thinking about a possible future and disseminate ideas about conscious human evolution and human enhancement into a wider sociotechnical imaginary. The dissertation explains Huxley’s transhumanism, as well as his influence on a new generation of futurists and suggests that his narrative about evolution and the future was perpetuated. The study captures how scientific and technological development in relation to society and social order shapes images and expectations of the future and of what future is desirable. The ambition is to historicize transhumanism, by placing it in a precise historical context. Transhumanism uses evolution and biology to imagine the future, which is why it is here put in relation to evolutionary thought developed after Darwin, including ideas that would not be termed Darwinian in the strict scientific sense of the word, as well as evolutionary ideas that tended toward opposition to some of the perceived implications of Darwinism. The study also focuses on developments within the field of experimental biology—as well as Huxley’s own involvement in it—and ideas of controlling life, alongside political events and developments throughout the twentieth century. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of recognizing that visions of the future no matter how optimistic—often express worries and fears about the social, technological and scientific development. At its core, transhumanism can be viewed as a result of the attempt to solve profoundly existential issues.
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| 20. |
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