Abstract
<p>Karl Mannheim (1893–1947) is known for his sociology of intellectuals and knowledge; together with Karl Loewenstein, he is also regarded as a co-founder of the concept of ‘militant’ or ‘defensive democracy’. In view of the current threat to democracy posed by the rise of far-right movements and the debate surrounding the possible banning of political parties, this idea is once again rendered topical. Mannheim is usually only briefly mentioned in the context of this discussion, but not examined in any detail. Mannheim had already developed this idea of ‘militant democracy’ in his book "Diagnosis of Our Time". However, the German version of the work has not been republished since 1952, and in it the central concept of ‘militant democracy’ was given as ‘militant democracy’. It is also largely unknown that, shortly after the end of the war, Mannheim gave radio lectures for the BBC’s German Service, in which proposals for the practical implementation of his (educational) ideas for a ‘militant democracy’ can be found. This volume makes key excerpts from ‘Diagnosis of Our Time’ available once more in a new translation, as well as publishing these radio lectures, delivered in German, for the first time. They are a striking example of Mannheim’s work as a “public sociologist”.</p>