Is the Swede Human? This is the provocative title of a new book by the two Swedish historians Henrik Berggren och Lars Trägårdh (Är svensken människa? Gemenskap och oberoende i det moderna Sverige. Norstedts 2006). The book claims that the supposedly “socialist” Swedes are, in fact, individualists in extremis. To an extent unimaginable even in the US, they are devoted to the pursuit of personal autonomy. At the heart of the Swedish social compact lies a deeply rooted conception, what the authors call “a Swedish theory of love,” according to which authentic love and friendship is possible only between individuals who are independent and equal. This moral logic, joining the ideal of independence to those of economic equality and social solidarity, has been institutionalized in modern Sweden through a radical alliance between the individual and the state, which the authors term “statist individualism.” This has, on the one hand, liberated the individual from the ties of dependency that characterize the traditional family, churches, and charities, on the other, it has left the individual relatively powerless in relation to the state. This is a social contract, they argue, that differs dramatically from those of other modern, western democracies, notably the US and Germany, two countries that serve as comparative touchstones in the analysis.
Released in the fall of 2006, the book has received an animated reception in Sweden, with numerous reviews and editorial commentaries in print media, radio, and television. It has been called “the most important book of the season” (Aftonbladet), “brilliant” (Expressen), “a classic” (UNT) and a book that “must be read” if one is to “understand Sweden and the Swedes” (Svenska Dagbladet). When:May 3rd at 7.30pmStarts with a lecture followed by a buffet dinnerLocation:725 Adelaide PlaceSanta Monica, CA 90402The event is open to the public. To attend please rsvp to: beyondblond2@foreign.ministry.se