Allgemeine Erkenntnislehre. - [THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE AND VALUABLE TREATMENT OF THE GENERAL THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE]

1918. Berlin, Springer, 1918. Lex 8vo. Bound with the original printed wrappers in a nice brown half cloth w. gilt title and year to spine. A few underlinings in pencil, otherwise a very nice and clean copy. With the ownership signature of Jørgen Jørgensen to front wrapper. IX, (1), 346, (4, -advertisements) pp. First edition of Schlick's main work, his "General Theory of Knowledge", a founding work of logical positivism. From the library of Jørgen Jørgensen, with his ownership signature to front wrapper. Jørgen Jørgensen (1894-1964) was a famous Danish philosopher and logician. He was a member of the Vienna Circle and an internationally known logical positivist. He corresponded with almost all famous logicians and analytic philosophers of the time and was a highly respected philosopher throughout the world. In the work Schlick argues against synthetic a priori knowledge, stating that the only truths that are self-evident to reason are statements that are true pr. definition, e.g. statements of formal logic and mathematics. All other statements must be deemed true with reference to empirical evidence. If a statement does not live up to one of the two criteria, Schlick defines it as "metaphysical" and thereby as meaningless, -a sentiment that became leading for the Vienna Circle and its members."Allgemeine Erkenntnislehre" (1918), his major work, examines a very wide range of problems and concepts relating to scientific knowledge. Schlick begins with the all-important concept of knowledge itself, the analysis of which sets the tone and determines the special character of the work as a whole. Despite the half century since its appearance, the work remains perhaps the most comprehensive and valuable treatment of the general theory of knowledge." (DSB XII:178).Schlick here distinguishes between two ways of knowing, which he calls "Erkenntnis" (i.e. recognition or knowledge) and "Kenntnis" (based on experience). With this distinction he both denies the impossibility of possessing knowledge of that which is beyond the directly perceived as well as the idea that reality is only connected to the immediately given, i.e. the things that we perceive directly.Schlick sees knowledge as the true description of the relationship of classes, connections, laws of relationships etc, and thus it is by no means restricted to what can be directly perceived, -rather, the perceived provides us with the opportunity to receive knowledge of the laws that govern it. Thus, the object of science is to test and formulate hypotheses, and only form or structure can enter the field of knowledge, -the immediately perceived is more a matter of feeling, not of thought. But still, according to Schlick, matters of feelings are by no means of lesser value than those of thought.Moritz Schlick (1882-1936) is the founding father of the Vienna Circle and logical positivism in general. In 1922 Schlick was appointed Professor of Philosophy in Vienna, and here he organized regular meetings with the aim of discussing philosophy and science - an event that changed the face of modern philosophy. Some of the participants of this little group were: Rudolf Carnap, Kurt Gödel, Hans Hahn, Herbert Feigl, Otto Neurath and Friedrich Waissmann. The called themselves the Ernst Mach association, but for posterity they are remembered as the Vienna Circle. It is around the same time that Wittgenstein publishes his Tractatus Logico-Philosohicus, and the work became a topic for the Vienna Circle at almost every meeting they held. Schlick succeeded in meeting with Wittgenstein and discuss his book, and it is due to Schlick's influence that Wittgenstein was convinced into writing his second main work, the "Philosophical Investigations.