Social Science in Urbanism: Neurath's Modern Utopias

APSE-CEU-IVC Talks
The Philosophy Department of the Central European University, the Institute Vienna Circle and the Unit for Applied Philosophy of Science and Epistemology (of the Department of Philosophy of the University of Vienna) are jointly organizing a series of talks this term

Date: 17/11/2022

Time: 15h00

This talk is going to be a hybrid event, in-person at NIG (SR 3A) and can be followed via online Plattform.

Online Plattform:

Access:

univienna.zoom.us/j/61475205762

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Meeting-ID: 614 7520 5762

Password: 264065

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Abstract:

The relation of the Vienna Circle to modernist movements in the arts and in architecture has been explored by recent scholarship. Otto Neurath's failed collaboration with CIAM (Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne) in the early 1930s is of particular interest. The worldview espoused by Le Corbusier, the most prominent architect and urban-planner in CIAM, is in stark opposition to the scientific world-conception of Neurath and the Vienna Circle: Le Corbusier assumes a metaphysical standpoint that, disguised as science, entails a technocratic stance for his projects. This talk seeks to contribute to understanding Neurath's modernism by focusing on his philosophy of social science, his scientific utopianism, which is openly associated with a democratic perspective. According to Neurath, in a given problematic social situation, a plurality of utopias must be offered and the involved community must be properly informed about these utopias, so as to be in conditions to make an informed decisions in regard to them. The implementation of an urbanist project is to be decided by the popular will and not by an expert's conception as to what is an adequate solution to a problem. Analyzing Neurath's conflict with the dominant voice in CIAM through his philosophy of science allows one to perceive a trait of fallibility and criticism in Neurath's modernism, a feature that is similar to H.G. Wells's modern utopianism. This feature may provide a bridge between Neurath's philosophy of science and later urbanist movements.