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The Murder of Professor Schlick

The Rise and Fall of the Vienna Circle
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( 501 ratings, 84 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Murder of Professor Schlick by David Edmonds delves into the tragic fate of Moritz Schlick, a leading figure of the Vienna Circle. This historical narrative explores the intellectual and cultural dynamics of early 20th-century Vienna, where revolutionary philosophical ideas emerged amidst rising political tensions. The book combines elements of true crime with a deep dive into the philosophical landscape, offering a rich portrait of thinkers grappling with the era's challenges.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're intrigued by the intersection of philosophy and history, particularly the turbulent era when ideas clashed with political realities. It delves into the lives and ideas of Vienna's intellectuals during a fascinating but dangerous time, bringing to life a world where philosophy was not just theoretical but had deep and poignant real-world consequences.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

*New Statesman, Books of the Year

*FiveBooks, One of Nigel Warburton's Best Philosophy Books of 2020

On June 22, 1936, the philosopher Moritz Schlick was on his way to deliver a lecture at the University of Vienna when Johann Nelböck, a deranged former student of Schlick's, shot him dead on the university steps. Some Austrian newspapers defended the madman, while Nelböck himself argued in court that his onetime teacher had promoted a treacherous Jewish philosophy.

David Edmonds traces the rise and fall of the Vienna Circle – an influential group of brilliant thinkers led by Schlick – and of a philosophical movement that sought to do away with metaphysics and pseudoscience in a city darkened by fascism, anti-Semitism, and unreason.

The Vienna Circle's members included Otto Neurath, Rudolf Carnap, and the eccentric logician Kurt Gödel. On its fringes were two other philosophical titans of the twentieth century, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper. The Circle championed the philosophy of logical empiricism, which held that only two types of propositions have cognitive meaning: those that can be verified through experience and those that are analytically true. For a time, it was the most fashionable movement in philosophy.

Yet by the outbreak of World War II, Schlick's group had disbanded and almost all its members had fled. Edmonds reveals why the Austro-fascists and the Nazis saw their philosophy as such a threat.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Murder of Professor Schlick by David Edmonds has been praised for its compelling narrative and accessibility. Reviewers note that it provides an engaging introduction to the Vienna Circle, blending biography, philosophy, and cultural history. The book is described as thoroughly readable, with a clear narrative that effectively integrates the ideas and lives of the Circle's members, making it an interesting read for those keen on understanding logical positivism and its historical context.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691211961

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 March 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 23 b/w illus.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 133.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 336

About the Author

David Edmonds is the coauthor, with John Eidinow, of the bestselling Wittgenstein's Poker as well as Rousseau's Dog and Bobby Fischer Goes to War, and the author of Would You Kill the Fat Man? (Princeton). Cofounder, with Nigel Warburton, of the popular Philosophy Bites podcast series, he is a distinguished research fellow at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. Twitter @DavidEdmonds100

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