Herbert Tingsten

Herbert Lars Gustaf Tingsten (17 March 1896 – 26 December 1973) was a Swedish political scientist, writer and newspaper publisher. An influential figure in Swedish political science, he was a professor of political science at Stockholm University from 1935 to 1946, and executive editor of the newspaper ''Dagens Nyheter'' from 1946 to 1959.

Career

Herbert Tingsten was born in Järfälla, Stockholm County, the son of city servant Karl Tingsten and his wife Elin Bergenstjerna. He finished his doctoral thesis in 1923 while working as secretary in the Swedish parliament's Committee on the Constitution. As a political scientist his main fields included constitutional history, constitutional law and the history of ideas.

Tingsten changed his political views several times during his life. In his early youth he was a conservative and later a radical left-wing liberal. During the 1920s he joined the Swedish Social Democratic Party and was on the left-wing faction of the party. In 1941 he wrote ''Den svenska socialdemokratiens idéutveckling'' ("The Development of the Idea of Swedish Social Democracy"). However, after reading Friedrich Hayek's ''The Road to Serfdom'' in 1944, Tingsten became a convinced believer in a free market economy and in 1945 he left the Social Democratic Party.

He was one of the original participators of the Mont Pelerin Society, founded in 1947.

Tingsten was an early opponent of Nazism, which he warned against during the early 1930s, as well as of the threat of Communism. During his time as executive editor of ''Dagens Nyheter'', Tingsten argued for Swedish membership in NATO. He also supported Israel.

In a number of books and publications, Tingsten anticipated some of the major issues in the political developments of the 20th century,Per Ahlmark "Att tiga om Tingsten" in ''Tyranniet begär förtroende'' (1992) such as the rise of fascism, apartheid in South Africa, the transition of socialism into social democracy as well as the need for democratic vitality in Western societies. Tingsten had a deep erudition in both Anglo-Saxon and Continental European science and literature. He created the concept of political behaviour in his 1936 book, pioneering the analysis of election statistics.

Published works

:''Note: The following list includes original editions only, not later published or translated editions.''

* he referendum institution in United States of North America (sic)* onstitutional warrant laws in modern parliaments* rohibition law results in the United States of North America (sic)* tudies over the constitutional committee's decharge procedure : some questions in connection to later praxis* merican democracy : constitution of the United States State-life* tudies regarding ministerial governance* he governmental expansion during and after the world war : studies on constitutional warrant laws* rom parliamentarism to dictatorship : The fascist conquest of Italy* nvestigation regarding the introduction of an agenda institute among other things * he national dictatorship : The nazi and fascist ideas*
* he conservative ideas* he Development of the Idea of Swedish Social Demcracy* dea critique* roblems in Swedish democracy* urrent federation states* ebate regarding Nordic unity* wedish foreign policy debate between the world wars* nglish colonial debate* eace and security after the second world war : a Swedish discussion post* emocracy's problem* roblems in the USA* rgument* he Revolution's inheritors : South American perspective* roblems in West Germany*
* deas and geniuses* roblems in South Africa* arties and Politics* apan* he threatened Israel* n the war path* t the market place* pinions and motives* y life* hould the royal power be strengthened : critique of the constitutional recommendation* ictoria and the Victorians* hen Churchill ceased power and other essays* rom idea to idyll : the happy democracy* truggle around the idyll* otices on life and death* ournal from America* y political horizon and other essays* od and fatherland : studies of a hundred years of school propaganda* hen dusk falls* erspective on business debate* ompanion for my thoughts* scape attempt(s?) : notices 1971-1972

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tingsten, Herbert
1896 births
1973 deaths
People from Järfälla Municipality
Swedish political scientists
Stockholm University faculty
Swedish political writers
Swedish newspaper publishers (people)
Swedish republicans
Dagens Nyheter editors
Member of the Mont Pelerin Society
20th-century political scientists