Meaning and function of Mannheim's sociology of knowledge: A new interpretation

Abstract

In the article author offers a new interpretation of Mannheim’s sociology of knowledge given in his Ideology and Utopia (1929). This is demonstrated contrary to well known critical works so far, especially from Marxist perspective. As a paradigm of unsuccessful critique due to ideological blindness author points out the works of authors from Frankfurt School (Horkheimer, Marcuse, Adorno). Then author gives analysis amid to provide argument in favor of necessity to formulate new concept of ideology, after expansion of ideology on the typos of Mannheim’s general total concept of ideology wherefore sociology of knowledge ought to arise. After that topic of analysis is epistemological neutrality as a condition of objective investigation in the history of ideas. Both topics provide the ground for new look at ideology with two special traits: first, ideology could contain truths, therefore it is no more "false consciousness" (Marx); second approach of sociology of knowledge to any idea does not mean to discredit it but to analyze it objectively with the aim to obtain wider knowledge. In concluding part author pays attention to the elements of Mannheim’s program that were skipped in literature so far, namely question of our self reflection, and freeing ourselves of social determination of our knowledge as much as we obtain better knowledge about it. Author concludes with remarks that Mannheim sociology of knowledge on the point of universalisation of ideology amounts to three problems: 1) problem of reenacting of radical skepticism (nothing is truthful), as a principle of modern rationalism; 3. return of modern Enlightenment to its initial principles (beside skepticism, there is also problem of prejudice); 3) necessity of self reflection of Enlightenment as a condition to complete constitution of sociology of knowledge understood in Mannheim’s sense as a epistemology of the social sciences. These three problems were completely neglected in literature on Mannheim’s concept so far.