The Vienna Circle

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This abridged and revised edition provides a comprehensive history and documentation of the Vienna Circle, utilizing new sources and an innovative historiographical approach to the study of science. It challenges prevalent clichés about "neo-positivism" and "logical positivism" by referencing unpublished archival material and recent literature. The text explores the relationship between the history and philosophy of science, offering an accessible introduction to the rise of scientific philosophy within its socio-cultural context and European philosophical networks until the forced migration to the Anglo-Saxon world. The first part delves into the origins of Logical Empiricism before World War I, detailing the development of the Vienna Circle in “Red Vienna” and its experiences during Austro-Fascism, including Schlick's murder in 1936, and the subsequent expulsion by National-Socialism starting with the Anschluss in 1938. It analyzes the dynamics of the Schlick-Circle within the "late enlightenment" intellectual context, featuring the first-time publication of meeting minutes from 1930 and an extensive overview of meetings and Unity of Science conferences from 1929 to 1941. Key philosophers of the Schlick Circle are introduced, along with their interactions and communications with figures like Wittgenstein and Popper. The final chapter of this section discusses the demise of the Vienna Circle and the forced exodus of its mem