Intelektualiści totalni jako przedstawiciele inteligencji – teoria warstwy "względnie oderwanej" Karla Mannheima
Total Intellectuals as Representatives of the Intelligentsia – Karl Mannheim’s Theory of the “Free-Floating” Stratum

Summary/Abstract: This article concerns Karl Mannheim’s theory of the intelligentsia and its importance for his sociology of knowledge. The terms used by Mannheim are defined in the introductory part of the article. The meaning of the words “intelligentsia” and “intellectuals” are based on diverse sociological theories. The famous concept of a “relatively unattached intelligentsia” derives from the assumption that this social stratum does not participate directly in the struggle between different group consciousnesses (utopiasa nd ideologies). As a result of historical processes it became alienated from society and was thus able to gain a wider understanding of historical truth. In the article, the type of intellectual who is seeking this truth is called a total intellectual, because such a person has the ability to see society as a totality. The concept of totality and its Hegelian sources are also analysed in the paper. Being distanced from the problems of class society is a resultof modern education and allows the intellectual to explore the holistic picture of the struggle between different worldviews. However, because of their education, intellectuals are seen as a foreign element in society. This feature of the intelligentsia is discussed in reference to Georg Simmel’s essay “The Stranger.” The final part of the article deals with the problem of the social role of total intellectuals, who should try to become engaged in politics despite their isolated position.

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