Logical positivism in Vienna functioned as political resistance to fascism

Evidence

Ernest Nagel, writing in 1936, described a lecture by Schlick, given ‘in a city foundering economically, at a time when social reaction was in the saddle’, as ‘a potential intellectual explo­ sive. I wondered how much longer such doctrines would be tolerated in Vienna.’ Not for long, as Schlick’s assassination showed, but the Vienna Circle’s commitment to the defence of reason was continued, despite his criticisms of logical positivism, by Popper. — Alex Callinicos, Against Postmodernism, 203

Categorization

• CANDY: The idea that a logical-positivist lecture was regarded as an ‘intellectual explosive’ in 1936 Vienna is a vivid, tweetable contrast to positivism’s dry reputation.
• XREF: connects to: Logical positivism began as a left-leaning political movement in Vienna. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 59