polity
First published in Danish as Ståsteder: 10 gamle ideer til en ny verden © Svend Brinkmann & Gyldendal, Copenhagen 2016. Published by agreement with Gyldendal Group Agency.
This English edition © Polity Press, 2018
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ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-2376-4
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To my mother and father
It is up to the reader to decide whether Standpoints works on its own, as a follow-up to Stand Firm (2017), or as both. At any rate, the book began to take shape while I was working on a radio series in Denmark. Stand Firm was wilfully humorous and adopted a sceptical approach to a number of contemporary social trends, in particular the constant demands for personal development and flexibility. But it left unanswered questions. If we are to stand firm and not bend with the wind, on what is it worth standing firm? And, if doing our duty – instead of always just doing what is best for us and our self-development – has some form of intrinsic value, then of what does duty consist? Standpoints is an attempt to answer these questions in a more constructive and edifying manner than was possible in Stand Firm, while remaining true to my critique of contemporary culture.
I should like to thank my editor Anne Weinkouff, whose help has been invaluable throughout the writing process. Following up on the widespread and surprising popularity of Stand Firm – both in Denmark and abroad – was a slightly daunting task, and Anne has been wonderfully supportive throughout. I should also like to thank the Danish Broadcasting Corporation and the Rosenkjær Committee, in particular the Chair, Anders Kinch-Jensen, for awarding me the prestigious science communication prize in 2015. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with various people at the Corporation. Huge thanks are also due to Ester Holte Kofod, Mikka Nielsen, Rasmus Birk, Anders Petersen and Thomas Aastrup Rømer for reading the manuscript and providing extremely helpful feedback. I should also like to thank Louise Knight of Polity Press and Tam McTurk, the translator, for all of their hard and excellent work on the English-language version. However, as always, my biggest thanks go to my wife, Signe Winther Brinkmann, sine qua non.
The book is dedicated to my parents, from whom I derive most of the standpoints on which I, personally, choose to stand firm.
Randers, Denmark
May 2017