oe upinicisa anp socioLooy {Ghar and lari: Susy td Seca Ed). ‘Tin Viena te tenet of otra a cold be i at te in hi ok wat ‘won "Te ty fh free hi atndon on he wen peta pont Tinoat tes were! ovo ny ult hos of any Sn gt fe ‘oom nithot window oho someon aes mater pe) MES ‘icf! moray, oor schol ease Asse win eel ep, ‘ino cud nas no ner it oun Paid yal Ste Bo {n-th hg proper the arg ats a huss Hom te proces Vim {al se bones th peo ren cols be et so ow os eed to at) tat een weenie tena ould aor hen teil ade he ‘Bore pee snd ngs he plant courted with ter 2a bh ‘oop sold met sn ches play ay fom ae Comalaon aspen {Stan ant youn ota nd cur owt aby ned StS {eit ion te communi. MEN) conarrens WISSENSCHAFTLICHE WELTAUFFASSUNG: DER WIENER KREIS, {The Sciemie Conception ofthe World: The Vienna Cie)? Dedicated to Moritz Selick* [A the beginning of 1929 Moritz Schick resived a very tempting cll ona. After some vailaton he decided to remain in Vienna. On this ‘occasion forthe first time it Became clear to him and ut that there is ‘sic a thing asthe “Vienna Cis” ofthe sceaifie conception of the ‘world which goes on developing this mode of thought ina collaborative ‘flor. This circle has no rild organization: it consists of people of an gual apd basic scene attud; cach individual endeavours to fit in, each puts common tis in the foreground, none wishes to distur the inks through idiosyncrasies. In many cases one ean depute for another, the work of one canbe eaeried on by another "The Vienna Cece ams at making contact with those similarly orcad snd at nuencng those who sand futher ff Collaboration in the Eenst ‘Mach Societys the expression ofthis endeavour; Schick is the ehaieman ofthis society and several members of Schick's circle belong to the ‘On 15-16 Seplember 1929, the Erst Mach Society, withthe Society for Empisical Philosophy (Bests, wll hold a conference in Prague, on the epistemology of te exact scenes, in conjunction with the conference ‘ofthe German Physical Society and the German Assocation of Mathe- raticins which wil ake place there atthe same ime. Bess echnial ‘questions, questions of principe are to be discused. It was decide that ‘on the occasion of this confereac the present pamphlet on the Vienna ‘Circle ofthe scenic conception ofthe world was tobe published eis tobe handed to Sehlick in October 1929 whea he returns from his visting professorship at Stanford Unversity, California, as token of gratitude And joy at his emaiing in Vienna. The second part of th pamphlet contains bibliography compiled ia collaboration with these concerned.00 urinicisi Axo sociotooy {isto give a survey of te area of problems in which those who belong to, or are near to the Vienna Circle are working Viena, August 1929 For the Ernst Mach Society Hans Hal Oto Newath Rudolf Cartop DER WIENER KREIS sot 1. Te viene cineze oF THe Se1ENT LL Mitral Background ‘Many atsct that metaphysical and theolgising thought i again on the increase today, not only in ie but alto in science. Is this general phe- nomenon or merely a change restricted to certain circles? The assertion ite i easily confemod fone Iooks atthe topice of university coures ‘and atthe tiles of philosophic publications. But likewise the opposite Sprit of ealightenment and antimetaphysca factual research s growing Stronger today, in that itis becoming conscious ofits exstence and task. Tn aome cies the mode of thought grounded inexperience and averse to speculation i stronger than ever, being seengthened preciely by the sew opposition that has ssa. Tn the reearch work ofall branche of empirical scence this spit of «siete conception ofthe worldinalve. However only avery few lading thinkers give it systematic thought or advocate its piacpes, and but sare ate they ina potion to assemble cel of like minded collegues ound them. We find ant-metaphysialendeavousespecalyin England, ‘where the tradition ofthe great empiri is stil alive’ the investigations of Russell and Whitehead on lose and the analyse of realty have won International signieanee. Inthe U.S.A. these endeavours take on the most ‘ced forms; ina certsin sone James Belongs to tis group too. The new Russia definitely is seeking for a sciatic world conception, even if partly lening on older matstialistic currents, On the continent of Europe, concentration of productive work inthe dtetion ofa scen- tie world conception isto be found especially in Berlin (Reichenbach, Petzoldt, Grelling, Duislav and others) and in Vienna “That Vienna was specially suitable ground for this development is storclly understandable In the second half ofthe nineteenth century, liberalism was fog the dominant polial current. Is world of ideas stems from the ealighenment, fom empvcism, utilitarianism and the Fee teade movement of England. In Vienna's iberal movement, scholars ‘of world renown occupied leading position. Here an ant-metaphysieal spint was cultivated, for instance, by men like Theodor Gompeez who {enna the works of F.S. Mil, Sots, Jad and others "Thanks to this spi of enlightenment, Vienna has bee leading in aa ninicisM AND SocioLooy scientifically oriented people's education. With the collaboration of Victor ‘Adler and Friedrich Jol the society fr popular education was founded and carted forth; ‘popular university courses’ and the ‘peopl’ college tere stp by the weltknown historian Lodo Hartmann whose a= Inelaphysieal atte and materialist conception of history expeessed itgeinall his ations. The same spirit also inspired the movement of the “Free Schoo! which was the forerunner of today's sehool reform, Tn this iberalatmosphre fved Erat Mace (bors 1838) who was in ‘Vienna s tent sande privdozent(1M6I-64. Me returned to Vina only at an advanced age when «special chair ofthe plilosopi of the Inductive since was coated for him (1895). Me was expecially itent on ‘eansing empirical since, and in theft pace, physic, of metaphysical notions. We real his etique of absolute space which made him a fore- runner of Einstein, his struggle against the metaphysics ofthe thingin- itself and ofthe coneopt of substance, and his investigations ofthe con- ‘struction of eine concepts fom limate elements, ame sense dat, TIsome poins the development of scence hat not vindicated is views, for instance in bis opposition to atomic theory and in hs expectation {hat physics would be advanced through the physiology’ of the sense. “The estntal points of his coneeption however were of positive use in the further development of eciene, Mach’s chai was later occupied by Ludwig Boltzmann (1902-06) who beld decidedly empires views "The sctivity ofthe physicists Mach and Boltzmann ina philosophical profeorship makes it conedivable that there was a lively dominant interest inthe epistemological and logical problems that re linked with {he foundations of physics. These problems concerning foundations 80 Jed toward a renewal of loge. The path towards thse objectives had also ‘been cleared in Vsnna from quite diferent quater by Franz Brentano (uring 1874-80 profesor of plosophy inthe theological cut, and Tater lecturer inthe philosophical fost). As Catholic priest Brentano understood scholastic; he started diet from the cholic logicand fom Leibizs endeavours to eefoem lop, while leaving aside Kant and the Meals spstem-buiders, Brentano and his student time and again showed thee understanding of men like Bolzano (Wisenschafslere, 1837 and others who were working toward rigorous new foundation ‘of logi In particular Alois Hater (1853-1922) pot thiside of Brentano's ‘Philosophy in the Foreground before a forum in which, though Mach's DER WEENIR xxEIS 03 and Boltzmann's infuenc, the adherents ofthe scintil world concep- tion were strongly represented. In he Philosophical Society atthe Une ‘versity of Vienna numerous dseussions took place under HAs dire tion, concerning quctione of the foundation of physics and aliod «pisiemological nd lopcl problems. The Philosophical Society published Profaces and Introductions to Clasivel Works on Mechanics (198), a8 well asthe individual paper of Bolzano (edited by Holler and Hahn, 1914 and 1921). Jn Brentano's Viennese ciclethers was the young ‘Alexivs von Meinong (1890-8, later profesor in Graz), whore theory ‘of objec (1907) ha eelanl some slinity to moder theories of concepts find whore pupil Ernst Maly (Graz) also worked in the field of lpi. ‘The carly wetings of Hass Pichler (1903) als belong to these cles Roughly atthe same time at Mach, his contemporary and friend Jose Poppers.ynkeue worked in Vienna. Beside hie physical and technical schievements we mention is larga, if unsstemati philosophical Tellections (1899) and his rational economic plan (A General Peceiine Labour Draft 1878). He consciously served the spirit of enlightenment, sis lo evident from his book on Voltaire. His rejection of metaphysics, twas shared by many other Viennese socologt, for example Rudoll GGoldscheid Its rematkable that inthe field of political economy, to there was in Vienna a srl sintife method, ured by the marginal tulity school Cart Menger, 1871); this method took root in England, France and Scandinavia, bat notin Geemany. Marxist theory likewise was culvated and extended with special emphasis in Vieana (Otto Baver, Rudolf Hiferding, Max Adler and others). "These inflvnce rom various sides had the esl especialy since 1900, ‘that there wasn Vienna a sizeable numberof people who feguently and assiduously dicused more general problems in close connection with ‘empiical sciences. Above all hes were epistemological and methodo- ‘ial problems of physics, for instance Poincars's conventinalsm, Doe's eoneption of the im and strture of physical theories (bi translator was the Vieunese Friedrich Ader, afllower of Mach, at that time prvatdacen in Zach); also questions about the foundations of ‘mathematics, problems of axiomatis, logistic ad the like, The folowing ‘were the main strands from the history of science and philosophy that fame together here, marked by those of their representatives whose ‘works were mainly read and discosedsot EMPIRICISM AND SOCIOLOGY (1) Positivism and empiveism: Hume, Ealiphenment, Comte, 3.5, Richard Averarias, Mach (2) Foundations, ins and methods of empirical since (hypotheses in physic, pometry, ele): Helaboltz, Riemann, Mach, Poincaré, Enrique, ahem, Boltzmann, Einstein, (G) Lops and iis application to realy: Leibniz, Peano, Frese, ‘Scheer, Rossel, Whitehead, Wittens, (8) Axiomatics: Patch, Peano, Vala, Psi, Her. (6) Hedonism and positivist sociology: Epicuus, Hume, Bentham, 4.5.Mil Comte, Feuerbach, Mars, Spenesr, Mlle-Lyee, Poppe yeu, Carl Menger (the ede). 1.2, The Circle around Sehlck In 1922 Moritz Seblck was called from Kiel o Vienna. Hi activities Sted well into the historical development of the Viennese scene at- mosphere. Himself oxgialy a physicist he awakened to new life the {radon that had becn started by Mach and Boltzmann and in cetain fens, cared on by the at-metaphsially inclined Ado Stohr. (in ‘Vienna successively: Mach, Boltzmann, tO, Selick; in Prague: Mach, ‘Basten, Philipp Frank) ‘Around Schick, there gathered in the course of time a cele whose ‘members united vious endeavours inthe direction of sient con Ceplion of the word, This concession produced a frit mutual ise Spiration Not one of the members is as-clled “par” philosopher all ‘of thea have done work na epecil dof since, Moreover they come from diferent branches of selene and orginally from dilleentpiloso- phic studs. But over the years & growing uniformity appeared’ this {oo was a result of the specially ecientic ait “What can be sad aval, can be said clearly” (Witlensen) if there are diferenes of ‘pinion, it tin the end posible 1 apre, and therefore agrement is ‘demanded. I became inteasinaly clearer tat position ot ony eee {rom metaphysics, butopposodto metaphysics was the common goal fal, “The altiades toward. questions of fe also showed noteworthy agreement, alhough these questions were not inthe foreground af themes ‘curs within the Cite. For thee alitudes are more closely relat to the scientiic word-conception than st might at fest glance appear from purely thersial point of view. For instance, endeavours toward DBR WIENER KREIS sos ‘anew organization of economicand soci elation, omard the unification ‘of mankind, toward a reform of school and educational show an inner link withthe elentie Worl-concepionit appearsthat these endeavours are welcomed and regarded with sympathy by the members ofthe Cie, Some of whom indeed actively farther them, “The Vienna Cielo doesnot confine itself to collective work asa closed _10up. Is abo trying to make contact with the living movements a the resent, 50 far as they are wel disposed toward the scene worldecon- ‘zption and (ur away from metaphysis and theology. The Ernst Mach Society is today the ple from which the Circe speaks toa wider public ‘This rocity, a8 sated init program, wishes to “further and disseminate the scent word-conception. It wil organize letues and publiations about the present postion of the sient word-conception, inorder to demonstrate the signicance of exet research forthe socal ceaces and ‘he natural sienees. In this way nteletal tools shouldbe formed for ‘modern empiricism toolsthat arealsonesdedinforming pobicand private Iie By the choles ofits name, the society wishes 10 describe its basic ovientation: scence fee of metaphysics, This, oweve, doce not mean ‘thatthe sosetydesares itself in programmatic agreement with theindivi- dual doctrines of Mach, The Vien Cirle belies that in collaborating withthe Erast Mach Society i fais « demand of the day: we have to Fashion intelectual tools for everyday ie forthe daly fe ofthe scholar but aso forthe dail life ofall those who in some way join in working at the concious reshaping of lie. The vial that shows itself nthe cris fora ational transformation ofthe soil and economic onder, permeates {he movement fora siete werld-