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Conceptual Engineering and Neurath’s Boat: A Return to the Political Roots of Logical Empiricism

  • Audrey Yap
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The Political Turn in Analytic Philosophy
This chapter is in the book The Political Turn in Analytic Philosophy

Abstract

Logical empiricism is not frequently associated with social and political philosophy, but several of the logical empiricists were politically active during their earlier careers and did consider the ways in which their scientific philosophy could provide tools for political engagement. The scientific worldview that they explicitly endorsed was intended to be allied with other modernist projects for the improvement of ordinary life. This chapter argues that some of the philosophical tools and frameworks they developed for those ends can be fruitfully reclaimed by contemporary analytic philosophers engaged in thinking about our social world. Rudolf Carnap’s work, for example, is complementary to some contemporary work on conceptual engineering, such as Sally Haslanger’s work on ameliorative concepts. Additionally, Otto Neurath’s holism, and discussion of the work of auxiliary motives, can help us think through situations in which we have competing empirically adequate theories. I will demonstrate the potential benefits of these frameworks by showing how they might be brought to bear on contemporary issues such as misogyny, transphobia, and scientific racism. I do not claim that the logical empiricists can solve those issues for us, but rather that their work is friendly to the work of philosophers trying to deploy analytic philosophy for liberatory ends. In other words, I argue that there are potential benefits for our viewing the contemporary political turn in analytic philosophy as a return to the political in scientific philosophy.

Abstract

Logical empiricism is not frequently associated with social and political philosophy, but several of the logical empiricists were politically active during their earlier careers and did consider the ways in which their scientific philosophy could provide tools for political engagement. The scientific worldview that they explicitly endorsed was intended to be allied with other modernist projects for the improvement of ordinary life. This chapter argues that some of the philosophical tools and frameworks they developed for those ends can be fruitfully reclaimed by contemporary analytic philosophers engaged in thinking about our social world. Rudolf Carnap’s work, for example, is complementary to some contemporary work on conceptual engineering, such as Sally Haslanger’s work on ameliorative concepts. Additionally, Otto Neurath’s holism, and discussion of the work of auxiliary motives, can help us think through situations in which we have competing empirically adequate theories. I will demonstrate the potential benefits of these frameworks by showing how they might be brought to bear on contemporary issues such as misogyny, transphobia, and scientific racism. I do not claim that the logical empiricists can solve those issues for us, but rather that their work is friendly to the work of philosophers trying to deploy analytic philosophy for liberatory ends. In other words, I argue that there are potential benefits for our viewing the contemporary political turn in analytic philosophy as a return to the political in scientific philosophy.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgements V
  3. Table of Contents VII
  4. Editor’s Introduction IX
  5. Part I: Analytic Philosophy and Social Involvement
  6. Analytic Philosophy as Philosophical Activism 1
  7. Conceptual Engineering and Neurath’s Boat: A Return to the Political Roots of Logical Empiricism 31
  8. Part II: Mind, Knowledge, and the Social World
  9. Political Epistemology 53
  10. Intellectual Vices in Conditions of Oppression: The Turn to the Political in Virtue Epistemology 77
  11. Epistemic De-Platforming 105
  12. Philosophy of Mind after Implicit Biases 135
  13. Ameliorative Inquiry in Epistemology 151
  14. Part III: Meaning, Politics, and Identity
  15. Tackling Verbal Derogation: Linguistic Meaning, Social Meaning and Constructive Contestation 173
  16. The Power to Shape Contexts: The Transmission of Descriptive and Evaluative Contents 199
  17. Hermeneutical Injustice and Conceptual Landscaping: The Benefits and Responsibilities of Expanding Conceptual Landscaping beyond Failure Reparation 211
  18. The Meaning of ‘Woman’ and the Political Turn in Philosophy of Language 229
  19. Part IV: Epistemology and Polarization
  20. Affective Polarization and Testimonial and Discursive Injustice 257
  21. Philosophical Considerations of Political Polarization 279
  22. Notes on Contributors 299
  23. Index 303
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110612318-004

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Acknowledgements V
  3. Table of Contents VII
  4. Editor’s Introduction IX
  5. Part I: Analytic Philosophy and Social Involvement
  6. Analytic Philosophy as Philosophical Activism 1
  7. Conceptual Engineering and Neurath’s Boat: A Return to the Political Roots of Logical Empiricism 31
  8. Part II: Mind, Knowledge, and the Social World
  9. Political Epistemology 53
  10. Intellectual Vices in Conditions of Oppression: The Turn to the Political in Virtue Epistemology 77
  11. Epistemic De-Platforming 105
  12. Philosophy of Mind after Implicit Biases 135
  13. Ameliorative Inquiry in Epistemology 151
  14. Part III: Meaning, Politics, and Identity
  15. Tackling Verbal Derogation: Linguistic Meaning, Social Meaning and Constructive Contestation 173
  16. The Power to Shape Contexts: The Transmission of Descriptive and Evaluative Contents 199
  17. Hermeneutical Injustice and Conceptual Landscaping: The Benefits and Responsibilities of Expanding Conceptual Landscaping beyond Failure Reparation 211
  18. The Meaning of ‘Woman’ and the Political Turn in Philosophy of Language 229
  19. Part IV: Epistemology and Polarization
  20. Affective Polarization and Testimonial and Discursive Injustice 257
  21. Philosophical Considerations of Political Polarization 279
  22. Notes on Contributors 299
  23. Index 303
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