Workshop: The legacy of logical empiricism between and during the two world wars and its political implications for today
Much of what is today known as analytic philosophy has its roots in logical empiricism, in particular in the Vienna Circle, the Unity of Science Movement, and its associated researchers (such as the Berlin Society of Scientific Philosophy or the Lwów-Warsaw School). These persons worked in a challenging political climate shaped by the First World War, inspired by hopes for scientific and social progress on the one hand and haunted by the rise and eventual seizure of power by fascism on the other. The assessment of the political significance of this philosophical movement within the German-speaking world was strongly influenced by critical theory, particularly by Horkheimer, who accused the positivist movement of separating science and philosophy from political questions. On the other hand, key figures in logical empiricism were highly politically active (especially Otto Neurath) and were particularly vulnerable to the political developments, falling victim to fascism (such as Janina Hosiasson).
Today, almost a century later, we are witnessing a resurgence of authoritarian political forces, an increase in armed conflicts, an erosion of human rights, a range of crises, and a large-scale ecological collapse. Within the workshop, we want to reflect on the social and political dimensions of logical empiricism, recognize its achievements in a difficult historical environment, and critically discuss its political significance for our current situation.
Currently confirmed speakers are Silke Körber and Ádám Tamás Tuboly. The workshop is organized by Corina Strößner (University of Greifswald) and Georg Brun (University of Bern), and is part of SOPhiA 2026 (https://sophia-conference.org/).
There are two open slots for presentations of 20 mins (+20 mins of discussion). We welcome contributions that can inform debates about the political significance of logical empiricism, including, but not limited to:
- Biographical work on philosophers of logical empiricism, especially on their historical environment.
- Political and activist dimensions of the unity of science movement.
- Political criticism of positivism and engagement with it.
- Social and political responsibilities of academia today, focusing on analytic philosophy.
Limited funding for costs of travelling (by train or bus) and accommodation is available. Since SOPhiA is a graduate conference, we are especially interested in contributions from early-career researchers. However, the workshop slots are also open to contributions from postdocs. If you are interested in submitting a talk, please send us an abstract of approximately 350 but at most 500 words by July 31st. The abstract and inquiries can be sent to corina.stroessner@uni-greifswald.de„>corina.stroessner@uni-greifswald.de.
