Becoming a nation: the first steps of Finnish humanities and national thought

Abstract

This article examines the key stages in the development of humanities and national thought in Finland in the 17th and early 18th centuries. It focuses on the founding and early history of the first Finnish university, the Royal Academy of Sciences in Turku (Åbo Academy), as well as the work of key figures in the development of national philosophical and historical thought: Bishops Geselius (father and son), Uppsala University Professor Johannes Messenius, Finnish pastor Laurentius Aboicus, and Åbo Academy Professor and Bishop Daniel Juslenius. The author concludes that the work of these individuals can rightfully be considered the first step in the Finns’ search for their national identity, and that their creative legacy, however illusory and erroneous their views may sometimes have been, marked the beginning of serious research into the history and culture of the Finnish people. The period under consideration can be called the period of ‘early Finnish nationalism’, not always recognized by its representatives, but crucial to the formation of Finland’s cultural and national identity, without which the national upsurge of the 19th century would not have been possible.