Nina Witoszek: The profits and pitfalls of prosociality: cultural-evolutionary perspectives on Scandinavia

In The Relational Nordic Welfare State, 2019.

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Author

Nina Witoszek

Edtiors

Sakari Hänninen, Kirsi-Marja Lehtelä and Paula Saikkonen

Abstract

Nina Witoszek asks whether there is a Nordic humanism. In her view, sustainable modernity is as much a creation of political and economic institutions and social movements as it is a summa summarum of cultural texts, norms, rituals, philosophical traditions. The main interest lies in the question: to what extent can the Scandinavian countries’ successes as ’well-being societies’ be attributed to the potency of a unique Nordic humanism? How has it evolved? Who have been its main drivers and how has it been replicated? In what way has it interacted with the political and economic realms? And finally, what are the challenges to Nordic humanism today? This takes a semiotic-evolutionary perspective of the shared Nordic founding tradition, highlighting in particular the role of ‘Ostromian’ small groups and individuals and how they solidify humanism in the Nordic education system and self-image.

Published Apr. 2, 2020 9:21 AM - Last modified Mar. 5, 2021 3:05 PM