The Philosophy of Joseph Petzoldt: From Mach's Positivism to Einstein's Relativity

This book is the first English resource to shed light on the philosophy of Joseph Petzoldt, a key figure in the early debate on the theory of relativity and founder of the Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Philosophie. Chiara Russo Krauss presents a comprehensive reconstruction of his philosophy in the context of the German milieu, tracing his development from materialism and Kantian agnosticism to relativistic positivism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 09 February 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This comprehensive volume is the first English resource to delve into the philosophy of Joseph Petzoldt (1862-1929), a prominent student of Ernst Mach and the founder of the Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Philosophie (later known as the Association of Berlin Logical Positivists). Petzoldt played a central role in the early discussions surrounding the theory of relativity, and his work received high praise from Einstein himself. Chiara Russo Krauss meticulously traces the evolution of Petzoldt's ideas, beginning with his initial acceptance of materialism and Kantian agnosticism. Through a detailed reconstruction of his philosophy within the context of the German milieu, Krauss explores his attempt to develop a new philosophy inspired by Gustav Fechner and the empiricist approach of Richard Avenarius and Ernst Mach. In the final chapter, she presents Petzoldt's proposal of relativistic positivism as the official interpretation of Einstein's relativity theory. By shedding light on key aspects of Petzoldt's work, this book serves as a valuable case study for students and scholars of philosophy of science, as well as those interested in late 19th-century and early 20th-century philosophy. It reveals the intricate interplay between two distinct trends of the time: neo-Kantianism and its struggle to transcend the notion of the thing-in-itself, as well as the urgent need for an epistemological foundation to support the emerging advancements of science.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350321458