Ayer and the Vienna Circle Richard Zach October 29, 2010 1/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Outline 1 The Vienna Circle 2 Ayer s Logical Positivism 3 Truth and Analyticity 4 Language, Truth and Logic and the Vienna Circle 5 Conclusion 2/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Moritz Schlick, 1882 1936 Born 1882 in Berlin Studied physics under Max Planck in Berlin Professor of Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences in Vienna 1922 Schlick-Circle and Ernst Mach Association Shot by former student in 1936 3/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Rudolf Carnap, 1891 1970 Born 1891 in Ronsdorf, now Wuppertal University of Jena (1910 14, 1918 20) Dozentur in Vienna under Schlick 1926 Professor at German University in Prague 1931 36 Professor at the University of Chicago 1936 1954 Professor at UCLA 1954 1970 4/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Otto Neurath, 1882 1945 Born 1882 in Vienna Studied mathematics in Vienna, political science in Berlin Active in the Bavarian Soviet Republic 1918 19 Ran the Social and Economic Museum in Vienna from 1925 Invented International System Of TYpographic Picture Education Main proponent of Unity of Science movement 5/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
6/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Stages of the Vienna Circle Formative Phase (1918 1929) Hans Hahn Schlick moves to Vienna (1924) Study of Tractatus Public Phase I (1929 ) 1929: Manifesto, Logical Construction of the World Erkenntnis from 1930 Conferences: Prague 1929, Königsberg 1930, Prague 1934, Paris 1935, Kopenhagen 1936, Paris 1937, Cambridge 1938, Harvard 1939, Chicago 1941 Hahn 1934, Neurath NL 1934 UK 1940, Carnap US 1935, Schlick 1936,... 7/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
A. J. Ayer, 1910 1989 Born 1910 in London BA Christ Church 1932 Vienna Dec 1932 Apr 1933 Lecturer 1932 1935 Research Student 1935 1940 Grote Professor University College London 1946 1959 Wykeham Professor Oxford 1959 1978 8/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Ayer in Vienna Arrived early December 1932 Introduced to Schlick in January Invited to attend twice-monthly meetings of VC Height of Protocol Sentence debate Returned to Oxford early April 1933 9/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Language, Truth, and Logic Written Dec 1933 July 1935 Published January 1936 1 The Elimination of Metaphysics 2 The Function of Philosophy 3 The Nature of Philosophical Analysis 4 The A Priori 5 Truth and Probability 6 Critique of Ethics and Theology 7 The Self and the Common World 8 Solutions of Outstanding Philosophical Disputes 10/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Doctrines of Ayer s Logical Positivism Verification theory of meaning Analytic propositions are tautologies Redundancy theory of truth Phenomenalism Emotive theory of value (ethics, aesthetics) 11/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Ayer in England in the 1930s 1933 Joint Meetings Many of the utterances of philosophers should have been published in the London Mercury rather than in Mind You re lost, you re lost! The forces of Cambridge and Vienna are descending upon you! R. G. Collingood: Gentlemen, this book will be read when your names are forgotten 12/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Ayer in England in the 1930s Founding of Analysis 1933 Atomic propositions 1934 Demonstration of the impossibility of metaphysics 1935: Hempel On the logical positivists theory of truth Schlick Facts and propositions 1936 The criterion of truth, Truth by convention Mind published at least 10 articles on themes from LTL until 1939 13/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
14/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Protocol Sentences Wittgenstein s atomic propositions = those recording experiences VC: protocol sentences What counts as a protocol sentence? Schlick, Ayer, Carnap 1930: sense-datum language Carnap 1932, Neurath: physical language What is the epistemic status of protocol sentences? Schlick: certain, unrevisable Carnap, Neurath, Ayer: contingent, revisable 15/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Analyticity a proposition is analytic when its validity depends solely on the definitions of the symbols it contains Geometry analytic since its axioms are simply definitions (Poincaré) Arithmetic? 16/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Clear Influence of Vienna Circle Verification Principle (Carnap, Schlick) Anti-Metaphysics (Carnap) Emotive Theory of Ethics (Carnap passim) 17/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Scant Influence of Vienna Circle Analysis and logical constructions Phenomenalism 18/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Vienna Circle Topics not in LTL Logic, Metalogic (Carnap, Logical Syntax) Holism (Neurath) Forms of languages (intersubjectivity) Unity of Science (Carnap, Neurath) Structure of Theories (Carnap, Testability ) Naturalism 19/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle
Ayer and the Vienna Circle Both radical programs generating great controversy Both influenced by Russell and Wittgenstein Both institutionally influential (Erkenntnis, Analysis) VC views much more heterogenous than Ayer Influence on Ayer from Vienna Circle end with early writings of Schlick, Carnap, Neurath dating from 1932 Influence of Russell stronger than that of VS Hempel, Schlick, von Juhos publish in Analysis Ayer attends two conferences, two papers in Erkenntnis (replies to Russell, von Juhos) Ayer more engaged with Hempel, Popper in the 1930s than with Carnap 20/20 Richard Zach Ayer and the Vienna Circle