Karl Mannheim: From the Critique of Ideology to the Sociology of Knowledge

Mannheim shares with Scheler and Lukács an early concern for a theory of culture and an emphasis upon the cultural crisis. This much is evident from Mannheim’s earlier writings such as the 1917 lecture ‘Lelek es Kultura’ (‘Soul and Culture’), ¹ his review of Lukács’ Theory of the Novel (1920), ² his essay on the interpretation of world views (1923), ³ and the important unpublished essay ‘Über das Eigenart kultursoziologischer Erkenntnis’ (1922). ⁴ Indeed the similarity goes further than this. Not only is Lukács’ work important for Mannheim’s early formulations of the problems of the sociology of culture, as Markus has recently shown ⁵ but, as Kettler’s study of the relationship between Mannheim and Lukács in Hungary has demonstrated, the influence of Lukács’ views as a whole was central to the young Mannheim. ⁶