This collection originated at a conference organized by the Institute
Vienna Circle and the University of Vienna on the Vienna Circle and
Logical Empiricism and was held in Vienna in July 2001. (cf. The Vienna
Orcle and Logical Empiricism. Re-evaluation and Future Perspectives.
Edited by Frie- drich Stadler. Dordrecht-Boston-London: Kluwer, 2003,
Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook 10). All the essays in this volume with
one exception are based on talks presented on that occasion and appear
here for the first time. The contributions address a broad range of
issues in the philosophy of Rudolf Carnap, but two themes stand out.
Many authors respond directly or indirectly to objections against
various aspects of Carnap's work: the pro gram of Der Logische Aufbau
der Welt, his views on ontology and realism, and his explication of
disposition predicates. w. v. Quine's shadow looms large. Rising to the
challenge, these authors constructively modify Carnapian ideas or
explore alternatives without abandoning key tenets of his empiri- cism.
As our understanding of Carnap's work in its historical context has
become more nuanced and detailed over the past decade, the room for dis
agreement over its interpretation has grown. Several of the papers aim
to put the record straight with respect to such works as Logische Syntax
der Sprache, Der Logische Aufbau der Welt, and Der Raum. This collection
then attests to the continuing and growing attraction of Carnap's
philosophy.
