[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Logical Positivism
The term "Logical Positivism" was coined some eighty years ago to characterize the standpoint of a group of philosophers, scientists and mathematicians who gave themselves the name of the Vienna Circle. Since that time its reference has been extended to cover other forms of analytical philosophy; so that disciples of Bertrand Russell, G. E. Moore or Ludwig Wittgenstein at Cambridge, or members of the contemporary Oxford movement of linguistic analysis may also find themselves described as logical positivists. This wider usage is especially favored by those who are hostile to the whole modern development of philosophy as an analytical rather than a speculative enquiry. They wish to tar all their adversaries with a single brush. This is irritating to the analysts themselves who are rather more sensitive to their differences; they would prefer that the appellation of "logical positivist" be reserved for those who share the special outlook of the Vienna Circle.
The Vienna Circle came into being in the early 1920's when Moritz Schlick, around whom it centered, arrived from Kiel to become professor of philosophy at the University of Vienna. On the philosophical side its leading members, besides Schlick himself, were Rudolf Carnap, Otto Neurath, Herbert Feigl, Friedrich Waismann, Edgar Zilsel and Victor Kraft; on the scientific and mathematical side, Philipp Frank, Karl Menger, Kurt Gödel and Hans Hahn. At the beginning, it was more of a club than an organized movement. Finding that they had a common interest in, and a continued throughout the life of the Circle but they came to be supplemented by other activities which transformed the club into something more nearly resembling a political party.
This process began in 1929 with the publication of a manifesto entitled "Wissenschaftliche Weltauffassung, Der Wiener Kreis"--The Vienna Circle; Its Scientific Outlook-which gave a brief account of the philosophical position of the group and a review of the problems in the philosophy of mathematics....................
