The Vienna Circle in Czechoslovakia

0541288 - FLÚ 2021 RIV CH eng M - Monography Chapter
Hvorecký, Juraj
Igor Hrušovký on Social Sciences.
The Vienna Circle in Czechoslovakia. Cham: Springer, 2020 - (Schuster, R.), s. 151-162. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, 23. ISBN 978-3-030-36382-6
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA16-15621S
Institutional support: RVO:67985955
Keywords : Igor Hrušovský * social science * positivism * Czechoslovakia * biology
OECD category: Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology

Early works of Igor Hrušovský present the best example of influence of the Vienna Circle on the Czechoslovak philosophy. Especially his first three books and early articles published before 1945 show a keen interest and a detailed knowledge of the Circle. We briefly introduce his general philosophy of science that is heavily influenced by positivism and then concentrate on a single line within his thought. His scientism and a keen interest in biology lead Hrušovský to an adoption of a vitalistic theory, inspired by experiments of Hans Driesch. He believes in entelechy and holistic approaches to living organisms. We show how Hrušovský transfers this holism onto the social domain. Holism, together with an acknowledgment of the role of historicity in the domain of social sciences, eventually make him an adherent of socialism. We demonstrate how his adoption of socialist tendencies after the WWII rises from his interwar scientism. We also comment on some remarks on Hrušovský by other Slovak philosophers and assess his legacy both within the positivist movement, but also within larger Slovak intellectual life.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0318872