Andrus Ers
Biography
B. 1970. PhD, History of Ideas, Stockholm University, with the dissertation The History of the Victors. Power, History and Liberty Studied Through the Example of Herbert Tingsten 1939-53 (H:ström 2008). Project Manager at the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education 2009-2010. As Senior Research Officer Ers is responsible for the coordination and practical management of the program. Ers is also a member of the Program Committee.
Contact: andrus.ers@sh.se
Ongoing research
In his dissertation, The History of the Victors, Ers examines the question of how history is used to create meaning, provide orientation in the present and indicate desirable alternative actions for the future. Using a number of Swedish examples from the years 1939-53, the dissertation investigates how history is used for moral, political and existential aims, with focus given to the Swedish publisher and political scientist Herbert Tingsten (1896-1973). Ers argues that Tingsten's anti-historicist outlook (similar to for instance Karl Popper's), in itself reflects an underlying positive understanding of history, with its own moral, political and existential implications; a manifest anti-hegelianism with underlying hegelian features.
When funded, Ers plans to develop two research projects; one investigating the philosophy of history of Neo-conservatism (for example Huntington, Fukuyama, Donald Kagan, Bernard Lewis), and one investigation on the concept of Year Zero from the French Revolution to the Khemer Rouge.
Selected bibliography
"Year Zero: the temporality of revolution studied thorugh the example of the Khmer Rouge", in Ruin Hans & Ers, Andrus (eds.), Rethinking Time: History, Memory and Representation, Södertörn Philosophical Studies no. 9, 2011.
The History of the Victors. Power, History and Liberty Studied Through the Example of Herbert Tingsten 1939-53 (H:ström 2008)
”Några reflexioner kring Rousseau, upplysningen och upplysningskritiken under 1900-talet” i Noesis (nr. 1: 2007)
"Fenomenet avhistorisering. Några exempel från svenskt 1950-tal" i Noesis (nr. 1: 2005)
Filosofihistorien och filosofins självbild. En uppsats om filosofihistoria på svenska från Höijer till Wedberg, Idéhistoriska uppsatser, nr. 41 (Stockholm 2004)
"Försokratikerna och den moderna kulturkrisen. Två exempel", föredrag tryckt i Noesis (nr. 1-2: 2004)
Wissenschaftliche Weltaufassung. Vetenskap, historia och framsteg i de logiska empiristernas manifest 1929" i Över tid och rum. En antologi tillägnad Bo Lindberg (Stockholm 2003)