The First European Era of Sweden?

Due to the fact that doctorates could not be received in Sweden but rather warranted that the student spent time abroad, an era in science that was internationally competitive was created. Hopefully we have entered a new such phase with the EU. We are talking about the so called "Frihetstiden", or era of freedom, in the Swedish history, i.e., 1718 to 1772, from the death (murder?) of the warrior king Carl XII, and the collapse of the Great Power Status of Sweden, to the coronation of Gustav III.

Tore Frängsmyr claims in his book, Svensk Idéhistoria from 2004, that the first half of the 18th century ushered in a utility culture in science that led to the establishment of the Science academy 1739, "Vetenskapsakademin", modelled after the Royal Society of London from 1660.

Apparently this challenge in utility imported from England back fired somewhat and did not create a significant enough pay off and was replaced gradually during the latter half of the 18th century with French enlightening, although the interest in the radical parts of this movement was not embraced. Rather the Swedes lost themselves in mystical matters of the type Swedenborgianism.

This demonstrates the danger in a too forceful promotion of the practical aspects of science. Frängsmyr does not mention the great Anthony van Leeuwenhoek that for the first time saw microbes and mammalian cells in his microscope and that was a member of the Royal Society. This was of course a real eye opener in science. Sweden did not build up an interest in the microbial world and excelled in the more macroscopically descriptive botany of Carl von Linné. What we today call medicine was standing still for the entire 18th century in Sweden until 1801 when Edward Jenner's 1796 discovery of the cow-pox vaccine was introduced. Carl Wilhelm Scheele should be mentioned as a forerunner in European chemistry in the hunt for the element oxygen.

Still Sweden was better internationally in science than we were in industrialization during the 18th century. Both an attempt of Jonas Alströmer to start a textile factory and Mårten Triewald to start a steam engine failed and Sweden remained in agriculture only except for the iron business.

Sweden was mainly influenced by the German philosopher Christian Wolff, a rationalist inspired by Leibniz. Even the Church took up wolffianism to fight the modern world with its own weapon. Wolffianism meant that one uses mathematical type deduction for all kinds of problems. The empiricist John Locke was also influential but his influence on Swedish culture is not elucidated formally according to Frängsmyr. Immanuel Kant who fused rationalism with empiricism became important during the so called "gustavianska tiden" 1772 to 1809. However, his tacit support for the French revolution made him look suspicious in this paranoically repressive era. Wolffianism is believed to have inspired the thoroughness of Germans which we just might have inherited as well.

The four Estates ruled in Sweden during the so called "Frihetstiden" after the disastrous rule by Carl XII. However, there was no real freedom of religion, the press or speech. A new law for the freedom of the press was enacted 1766 as an expression of the enlightenment. The question is how this period reflects in the absence of a revolutionary mood in Sweden at the time?Frängsmyr does not mention any influence from the American revolution which did have a positive outcome rather than the disastrous French ditto? He did claim however, that the Swedish 1809 constitution is modelled on the separation of powers of Montesquieu.

Happy Columbus Day everyone!