Secular or Biblical, community or individual? The role of values in Scandinavian Social Democracies

Abstract

In World Values Survey’s cultural map of the world, the Scandinavian nations have since the turn of the millennium placed themselves in the most secular-individualistic corner, with Sweden being the prime example of these values. The most powerful political force in post-war Scandinavia is undoubtedly Social Democracy. Therefore, it is vital to understand the central values in this political movement, and how these may have affected the Scandinavian nations. In the doctoral thesis “Moving reality closer to the ideal”, the author analysed the role of autonomy, individualism, and secularism in Swedish politics. In the trial lecture in November 2022, he was asked to present an overview on political values in Scandinavian Social Democracies at large. Here is a revised version of this trial lecture.