Mellan nationalekonomi och sociologi

August Strindberg som samhällsvetare

Abstract

“Between Economics and Sociology. August Strindberg as a Social Scientist”

There is an extensive research literature on August Strindberg's multidisciplinary academic interests. Most Strindberg scholars tend to focus on his ventures into the natural sciences, and to a certain extent on his ideas with regard to humanistic disciplines such as history and linguistics. The social sciences, however, are generally neglected. In this article, an interpretation of Strindberg's social scientific thought is therefore developed. More specifically, this study outlines ideas relating to the social sciences, e.g., economics and sociology, in works such as ”Om det allmänna missnöjet, dess orsaker och botemedel” (1884), Bland franska bönder (1889), ”August Strindbergs Lilla Katekes För Underklassen” (1884), and En blå bok (1907–1912). Strindberg's social scientific discourse, the study argues, should be understood in the context of the polymathic aims that constantly pervade his literature.