The Popperian Podcast The Popperian Podcast #35 – David Edmonds – 'Murder in the Vienna Circle'
May 29, 2024
David Edmonds, an award-winning BBC presenter and author, discusses his gripping book on the murder of Moritz Schlick and the Vienna Circle. They delve into Schlick's role in shaping verificationism and the influence of luminaries like Wittgenstein. The conversation touches on the cultural and political vibrancy of Vienna, the challenges posed by modern physics, and the rise of antisemitism. Edmonds also explores Popper's contentious relationship with the Circle and the tragic aftermath of Schlick's assassination, highlighting the enduring legacy of their philosophical pursuits.
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Vienna's Cultural Fertile Ground
- Vienna in the 1920s was a vibrant hub of overlapping intellectual circles beyond philosophy.
- The Circle arose within this broader cultural ecosystem, not in isolation.
Politics Versus Positivist Principles
- Many Circle members were politically engaged yet also claimed normative political statements lacked meaning.
- This tension made their political activism philosophically complicated.
Unwanted Manifesto Gift
- Moritz Schlick disliked the Circle's growing political activism and wanted apolitical philosophical discussion.
- Members published The Scientific Conception of the World as an unwanted manifesto to thank him for staying.
