Neurath’s social sciences: between positivism and pragmatism

Abstract

This paper presents some aspects of Otto Neurath’s proposal for the foundations of the social sciences. Neurath’s proposal is expounded in relation to the Vienna Circle’s general aim of establishing unified science, a cooperative network of people who adopt the scientific world-conception. Such a point of view takes science to be an attitude that generates a collective effort for dealing with the world. This paper shows the scientific world-conception as a humanist, pluralist, and fallibilist approach to science, contrasting with the view adopted by Auguste Comte at the birth of the social sciences. From Neurath’s point of view, Comte’s stance is seen as absolutist and technocratic. In opposition to that, Neurath provides a picture of science that contributes to a free society by means of education. Finally this paper presents some connections between Neurath and John Dewey, indicating a more comprehensive way of understanding the social sciences.