The Vienna Circle: Studies in the Origins, Development, and Influence of Logical Empiricism

681 Pages·2015·0.53 MB·English

by  Friedrich Stadler

Vienna Circle Institute Library
Volume 4
Series editor
Friedrich Stadler
University of Vienna, Institute Vienna Circle, Wien, Austria
Institut Wiener Kreis
Society for the Advancement of the Scientifi c World Conception
Advisory Editorial Board: Ilkka Niiniluoto, University of Helsinki, Finland
Jacques Bouveresse, Collège de France, Paris, Otto Pfersmann, Université Paris I Panthéon –
France Sorbonne, France
Martin Carrier, University of Bielefeld, Germany Miklós Rédei, London School of Economics, UK
Nancy Cartwright, London School of Alan Richardson, University of British
Economics, UK Columbia, CDN
Richard Creath, Arizona State University, USA Gerhard Schurz, University of Düsseldorf,
Massimo Ferrari, University of Torino, Italy Germany
Michael Friedman, Stanford University, USA Peter Schuster, University of Vienna, Austria
Maria Carla Galavotti, University of Bologna, Karl Sigmund, University of Vienna, Austria
Italy Hans Sluga, University of California at Berkeley,
Peter Galison, Harvard University, USA USA
Malachi Hacohen, Duke University, USA Elliott Sober, University of Wisconsin, USA
Rainer Hegselmann, University of Bayreuth, Antonia Soulez, Université de Paris 8, France
Germany Wolfgang Spohn, University of Konstanz,
Michael Heidelberger, University of Tübingen, Germany
Germany Thomas E. Uebel, University of Manchester, UK
Don Howard, University of Notre Dame, USA Pierre Wagner, Université de Paris 1, Sorbonne,
Paul Hoyningen-Huene, University of Hanover, France
Germany C. Kenneth Waters, University of Minnesota, USA
Clemens Jabloner, Hans-Kelsen-Institut, Vienna, Jan Woleński, Jagiellonian University, Cracow,
Austria Poland
Anne J. Kox, University of Amsterdam, The Gereon Wolters, University of Konstanz,
Netherlands Germany
Martin Kusch, University of Vienna, Austria Anton Zeilinger, University of Vienna, Austria
James G. Lennox, University of Pittsburgh, USA
Juha Manninen, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Editorial Address:
Studies, Finland Institut Wiener Kreis
Thomas Mormann, University of Donostia / San Universitätscampus, Hof 1
Sebastián, Spain Spitalgasse 2-4, A–1090 Wien, Austria
Edgar Morscher, University of Salzburg, Austria Tel.: [phone] (international)
Kevin Mulligan, Université de Genève, or 01/4277 46501 (national)
Switzerland Fax.: [phone] (international)
Elisabeth Nemeth, University of Vienna, Austria or 01/4277 41297 (national)
Julian Nida-Rümelin, University of Munich, Email: [email protected]
Germany Homepage: http://univie.ac.at/ivc/
The titles published in this series are listed at the end of the volume.
More information about this series at h ttp://www.springer.com/series/7041
Friedrich Stadler
The Vienna Circle
Studies in the Origins, Development,
and Infl uence of Logical Empiricism
Friedrich Stadler
Institut Wiener Kreis
University of Vienna
Vienna , Austria
Abridged and revised edition of The Vienna Circle (Springer-Wien-New York: 2001).
ISBN 3-211-83243-2
ISSN 1571-3083
Vienna Circle Institute Library
ISBN 978-3-319-16560-8 ISBN 978-3-319-16561-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-16561-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015938229
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
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Fig. 1 Entrance to the Mathematical Seminar at the University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5.
Meeting place of the Vienna Circle (Schlick Circle)

For Ivich, Serena and Mira

Pref ace
The fi rst edition of this book, T he Vienna Circle , that was published in 2001 with
Springer (Wien-New York) is now out of print. I have thus decided to have this sec-
ond edition published as a revised and abridged version in the series “Vienna Circle
Institute Library” (Springer: Dordrecht-Heidelberg-London).
Another incentive was the fi rst big exhibition on the Vienna Circle that will be
taking place in the main building of the University of Vienna, which is celebrating
its 650th anniversary this year.
The fi rst three chapters on the prehistory of the Vienna Circle in the context of
Austrian philosophy were omitted in this edition, while new research literature as
well as primary sources were added. The core text was copyedited again in order to
improve legibility. The bio-bibliographic parts have been revised and slightly recon-
fi gured. The website of the Institute Vienna Circle—www.univie.ac.at/ivc—regu-
larly provides further information on current research on the Vienna Circle/Logical
Empiricism.
I am grateful to Dr. Christoph Limbeck-Lilienau for his research and copyediting
work together with Martin Strauss and Robert Kaller for his technical support
enabling this second edition, who are both affi liated with the Institute Vienna Circle.
I would also like to thank the publisher Springer (Dordrecht), especially Lucy Fleet,
for the good long-standing cooperation.
Vienna, Austria Friedrich Stadler
January 2015
ix