Nico Stehr, Karl Mannheim Professor Emeritus, Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen, Germany, and Distinguished Global Fellow, Center for Advanced Studies, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy

‘The enormous changes of knowledge production and distribution in the last half century, extreme complexity and dangers of the social and biophysical problems that have arisen from its application, and consequent need to plot major changes of policy make this an especially important moment for reconsidering the relation of knowledge and society. Eminent scholar of modern knowledge societies, Nico Stehr’s concise yet comprehensive analysis of these matters in intellectual, socio-historical, and political-economic context provides an incisive, holistic mapping of the primary issues in hand. His Understanding Society and Knowledge will be accessible to and provoke critical thought among a wide range of readers interested in the fundamental changes of social knowledge impacting our lives and world.’

• Contents: Preface 1 Introduction: theories of modern societies 2 The lineage of knowledge society theory 3 The science of knowledge 4 Knowledge competencies 5 The knowledge wars 6 The political economy of knowledge societies 7 Modern societies as knowledge societies 8 The political economy of knowledge monopoly capitalism 9 Political challenges of knowledge societies 10 Conclusions References Index

Nico Stehr, Karl Mannheim Professor Emeritus, Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen, Germany, and Distinguished Global Fellow, Center for Advanced Studies, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy

‘The enormous changes of knowledge production and distribution in the last half century, extreme complexity and dangers of the social and biophysical problems that have arisen from its application, and consequent need to plot major changes of policy make this an especially important moment for reconsidering the relation of knowledge and society. Eminent scholar of modern knowledge societies, Nico Stehr’s concise yet comprehensive analysis of these matters in intellectual, socio-historical, and political-economic context provides an incisive, holistic mapping of the primary issues in hand. His Understanding Society and Knowledge will be accessible to and provoke critical thought among a wide range of readers interested in the fundamental changes of social knowledge impacting our lives and world.’

• Contents: Preface 1 Introduction: theories of modern societies 2 The lineage of knowledge society theory 3 The science of knowledge 4 Knowledge competencies 5 The knowledge wars 6 The political economy of knowledge societies 7 Modern societies as knowledge societies 8 The political economy of knowledge monopoly capitalism 9 Political challenges of knowledge societies 10 Conclusions References Index