Vienna Circle

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Eingang Mathematisches Kolloquium

Vienna Circle was a group of philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians who met regularly in Vienna, Austria, from 1924 to 1936. It was initiated by Moritz Schlick, a professor of the philosophy of inductive sciences at the University of Vienna. The Circle's members shared a common attitude towards philosophy and science, which was characterized by an emphasis on logical analysis and a strong commitment to empiricism. The Vienna Circle's philosophical stance is often referred to as logical positivism or logical empiricism.

Origins and Members

The origins of the Vienna Circle trace back to discussions held in the Vienna University's physics colloquium, led by Moritz Schlick and joined by Hans Hahn, Otto Neurath, and Friedrich Waismann among others. The group formally organized itself around Schlick, with the inclusion of notable members such as Rudolf Carnap, Herbert Feigl, Karl Menger, and Kurt Gödel. The Circle was a melting pot of ideas, drawing from the works of Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus was a significant influence, Gottlob Frege, and Bertrand Russell.

Philosophy and Impact

The Vienna Circle's main contribution to philosophy was the development of logical positivism, a doctrine that sought to apply the methods of logic and natural science to philosophy. They argued that many traditional philosophical problems were either meaningless or could be transformed into empirically verifiable statements. A key aspect of their philosophy was the verification principle, which proposed that a statement is only meaningful if it can be empirically verified or is tautological.

Their work had a profound impact on the philosophy of science, where they advocated for the unity of science, an idea that all scientific knowledge can be unified under a common language or framework. Otto Neurath's development of the International Encyclopedia of Unified Science was an ambitious attempt to realize this idea.

Publications and Activities

The Circle's activities included regular meetings, public lectures, and the publication of a series of books and articles. One of their significant publications was the journal Erkenntnis, which served as a platform for disseminating their ideas. The Vienna Circle Manifesto, published in 1929 by Neurath, Hahn, and Carnap, outlined the group's philosophical stance and objectives, marking a formal declaration of their intentions.

Dissolution and Legacy

The rise of Nazism and the political unrest in Europe during the 1930s led to the dispersion of the Vienna Circle's members. Moritz Schlick was tragically murdered in 1936, and many members fled Austria, finding positions in the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere. Despite its dissolution, the ideas of the Vienna Circle continued to influence philosophy, particularly in the analytic tradition, and the philosophy of science.

The legacy of the Vienna Circle is still evident today, with many contemporary philosophers acknowledging their debt to the rigorous analytical methods and the empirical approach championed by the Circle. Their emphasis on clarity, precision, and the rejection of metaphysics has left a lasting mark on philosophical inquiry.