How the Cold War Transformed Philosophy of Science: To the Icy Slopes of Logic

by George A. Reisch

This in-depth study of the development of philosophy of science studies in the United States during the Cold War documents the political vitality of logical empiricism and Otto Neurath's Unity of Science Movement when the movement emigrated to the U.S. in the 1930s. It follows its de-politicization by a convergence of intellectual, cultural and political forces in the 1950s. The volume will be of interest to philosophers and historians of science, as well as scholars of Cold War studies.

Genres: Philosophy, History, Nonfiction

434 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Matthew Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this while working on my dissertation. Just re-read the first third or so of the book for my classes in the last couple of weeks. This is just a fascinating study of the persons and politics behind the formation and development of the discipline of philosophy of science. As Reisch tells it, philosophy of science began as a radical movement attempting to improve society by the analysis and application of science to social problems. Pretty much all of them were on the left, from the softer liberalism of Dewey to the heterodox Marxism of Neurath and the KGB-informing William Malisoff. Reisch identifies the Cold War and McCarthyism as the main reasons that philosophy of science became an abstract, professionalized, much more politically neutral pursuit. Probably, things are a little more complicated than that (but Reisch would likely admit that). The FBI files on Carnap and the chicanery of Sidney Hook are both fascinating parts of the story.