Vienna and Other Circles with David Edmonds

The Vienna Circle, with their logical positivism, was one of the most famous and influential groups of philosophers in history, despite A.J. Ayer later concluding “that nearly all of it was false.” That circle was inspired by then-current advances in the physical and formal sciences, which may have ultimately doomed their attempt. (Philosophy cannot be derived from physics alone.) Now, an Evolutionary Philosophy Circle (EPC) is being formed, inspired by the activities of the Vienna Circle, but focused on the latest advances in the evolutionary sciences. The EPC is being formed and developed inside the larger project of Prosocial World, which is a non-profit organization co-founded by the esteemed evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson. Prosocial World aims to use its proprietary process to help all groups, large and small, new or old, to function better. So, the EPC has high hopes that it will not end as the Vienna Circle did with the murder of one of its founders.

To make sure none of us get murdered, and to learn more about the successes and failures of the Vienna Circle, the EPC has invited David Edmonds to come speak to our group on Tuesday, May 31^st at 12:00 noon Eastern US time / 17:00 UK time. David will provide a short talk to be followed by a Q&A session lasting a total of 45 minutes. Anyone is welcome to attend, although questions will be prioritized for members of the EPC.

David Edmonds is a philosopher and the author of many books, including the international best-seller Wittgenstein’s Poker, Would You Kill the Fat Man?, and The Murder of Professor Schlick: The Rise and Fall of the Vienna Circle. For three decades he was a multi-award-winning presenter/producer at the BBC and the host of The Big Idea. With Nigel Warburton he produces the popular podcast series Philosophy Bites which has had over 44 million downloads. He also runs Philososphy247 and presents Social Science Bites.

For more information about Prosocial and the Evolutionary Philosophy Circle, see here.

Who: David Edmonds
When: Tuesday May 31st at 12:00 Eastern US / 16:00 UTC / 17:00 UK

What: A 45-minute talk with Q&A
How: This free Zoom meeting will open 15 minutes early. Register for the link by clicking the picture below.