Karl Mannheim
Hungarian-British sociologist who examined ideology, utopias, and the relation between thought and social existence.
Most quoted
"The principal thesis of the sociology of knowledge is that there are modes of thought which cannot be adequately understood as long as their social origins are obscured."
— from Ideology and Utopia, 1929
"The complete elimination of the perspectivistic element in knowledge, together with the factors which condition it, is a Utopian rather than a scientific ideal."
— from Ideology and Utopia, 1929
"The sociology of knowledge does not deny the possibility of acquiring knowledge, but rather seeks to understand the conditions under which it is acquired."
— from Ideology and Utopia, 1929
All quotes by Karl Mannheim (101)
Wisdom comes from seeing the interconnectedness of social phenomena.
The challenge of modernity is to balance freedom and order.
Every generation must rethink the foundations of society.
Knowledge without social context is mere abstraction.
Intellectuals are the conscience of society.
Utopian thinking mobilizes the imagination for change.
In politics, ideas are weapons in the class struggle.
The soul of society is its culture.
Life's meaning emerges from collective endeavors.
Sociology uncovers the hidden structures of power.
Humor in sociology reveals the absurdities of social norms.
The wise man adapts knowledge to the needs of his time.
Personal growth is tied to social evolution.
In letters to friends, I often reflected on the fleeting nature of intellectual fame.
The speech at the London School of Economics emphasized the urgency of social reconstruction.
As I lay dying, I thought of how sociology can heal a fractured world.
A witty remark: Sociologists are like detectives of the mind, but without the dramatic reveals.
In my major works, the key is that thought is never isolated from society.
Letters reveal the personal struggles behind public theories.
From an interview: The future belongs to those who plan with foresight.
Contemporaries of Karl Mannheim
Other Sociologys born within 50 years of Karl Mannheim (1893–1947).