Victor Kraft
Encyclopedia
Victor Kraft was an Austria
n philosopher, best known for being a member of the Vienna Circle
.
, geography
and history
at the University of Vienna
. He participated in the events of the University’s Philosophical Society, as well as with private circles (especially Oskar Ewald
, Otto Weininger
and Othmar Spann
). He received in 1903 his Ph.D. with a dissertation on The Knowledge of the External World. Then he moved to Berlin
to continue his studies under Georg Simmel
, Wilhelm Dilthey
and Carl Stumpf
. Kraft started working at the University’s library in 1912. In 1914 he completed his habilitation
under Adolf Stöhr with his book "Weltbegriff und Erkenntnisbegriff" (The Concept of world and the Concept of Knowledge). Kraft attend regularly the Vienna Circle
until its dissolution, and at the same time was also a member of the Gomperz Circle and had contacts to the so-called periphery of the Vienna Circle (e.g., Karl Popper
). Victor Kraft received the title of associate professor for theoretical philosophy in 1924.
After the Anschluss
Kraft was forced to leave his librarian position because of his wife's Jewish background. He lost his habilitation as university teacher as well. Kraft continued his philosophical research with great difficulties as "inner emigrant" during the Nazi regime.
He regain his post at the university library in 1945, and became Generalstaatsbibliothekar (national librarian) in 1947. In this year he was also appointed associate professor for philosophy. Three years later he became full professor and co-director of the school of philosophy. He retired from his post in 1952. Kraft kept his research and publishing until his death. The Kraft Circle
, which he chaired between 1949 and 1952/3, was named after him, and it was during this period that he supervised the dissertation of Paul Feyerabend
.
, Kraft represent a unique standing point: he wrote about a non sensualist empiricism
with a hypothetical-deductive structure. Before the First World War (and after it together with the Vienna Circle members) he dedicated most of his lectures and publications to promote scientific philosophy. He also made an important contributions to the establishment of ethics as science and wrote about the theory of geography and the philosophy of history.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n philosopher, best known for being a member of the Vienna Circle
Vienna Circle
The Vienna Circle was an association of philosophers gathered around the University of Vienna in 1922, chaired by Moritz Schlick, also known as the Ernst Mach Society in honour of Ernst Mach...
.
Biography
Kraft studied philosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. He participated in the events of the University’s Philosophical Society, as well as with private circles (especially Oskar Ewald
Oskar Ewald
Oskar Ewald, born Oskar Friedländer, or Friedländer Oszkár was a Hungarian-Austrian philosopher.- Literary works :* Nietzsches Lehre in ihren Grundbegriffen, 1903* Gründe und Abgründe, 1909* Die...
, Otto Weininger
Otto Weininger
Otto Weininger was an Austrian philosopher. In 1903, he published the book Geschlecht und Charakter , which gained popularity after his suicide at the age of 23...
and Othmar Spann
Othmar Spann
Othmar Spann was a conservative Austrian philosopher, sociologist and economist whose radical anti-liberal and anti-Socialist views, based on early 19th century Romantic ideas expressed by Adam Müller et al...
). He received in 1903 his Ph.D. with a dissertation on The Knowledge of the External World. Then he moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to continue his studies under Georg Simmel
Georg Simmel
Georg Simmel was a major German sociologist, philosopher, and critic.Simmel was one of the first generation of German sociologists: his neo-Kantian approach laid the foundations for sociological antipositivism, asking 'What is society?' in a direct allusion to Kant's question 'What is nature?',...
, Wilhelm Dilthey
Wilhelm Dilthey
Wilhelm Dilthey was a German historian, psychologist, sociologist and hermeneutic philosopher, who held Hegel's Chair in Philosophy at the University of Berlin. As a polymathic philosopher, working in a modern research university, Dilthey's research interests revolved around questions of...
and Carl Stumpf
Carl Stumpf
Carl Stumpf was a German philosopher and psychologist.Born in Wiesentheid, he studied with Franz Brentano and Hermann Lotze...
. Kraft started working at the University’s library in 1912. In 1914 he completed his habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
under Adolf Stöhr with his book "Weltbegriff und Erkenntnisbegriff" (The Concept of world and the Concept of Knowledge). Kraft attend regularly the Vienna Circle
Vienna Circle
The Vienna Circle was an association of philosophers gathered around the University of Vienna in 1922, chaired by Moritz Schlick, also known as the Ernst Mach Society in honour of Ernst Mach...
until its dissolution, and at the same time was also a member of the Gomperz Circle and had contacts to the so-called periphery of the Vienna Circle (e.g., Karl Popper
Karl Popper
Sir Karl Raimund Popper, CH FRS FBA was an Austro-British philosopher and a professor at the London School of Economics...
). Victor Kraft received the title of associate professor for theoretical philosophy in 1924.
After the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
Kraft was forced to leave his librarian position because of his wife's Jewish background. He lost his habilitation as university teacher as well. Kraft continued his philosophical research with great difficulties as "inner emigrant" during the Nazi regime.
He regain his post at the university library in 1945, and became Generalstaatsbibliothekar (national librarian) in 1947. In this year he was also appointed associate professor for philosophy. Three years later he became full professor and co-director of the school of philosophy. He retired from his post in 1952. Kraft kept his research and publishing until his death. The Kraft Circle
Kraft Circle
The Kraft Circle was a student society of philosophers at the Institut für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung of the University of Vienna devoted to "considering philosophical problems in a nonmetaphysical manner and with special reference to the findings of the sciences"...
, which he chaired between 1949 and 1952/3, was named after him, and it was during this period that he supervised the dissertation of Paul Feyerabend
Paul Feyerabend
Paul Karl Feyerabend was an Austrian-born philosopher of science best known for his work as a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, where he worked for three decades . He lived a peripatetic life, living at various times in England, the United States, New Zealand,...
.
Work
Among the logical positivistsLogical positivism
Logical positivism is a philosophy that combines empiricism—the idea that observational evidence is indispensable for knowledge—with a version of rationalism incorporating mathematical and logico-linguistic constructs and deductions of epistemology.It may be considered as a type of analytic...
, Kraft represent a unique standing point: he wrote about a non sensualist empiricism
Empiricism
Empiricism is a theory of knowledge that asserts that knowledge comes only or primarily via sensory experience. One of several views of epistemology, the study of human knowledge, along with rationalism, idealism and historicism, empiricism emphasizes the role of experience and evidence,...
with a hypothetical-deductive structure. Before the First World War (and after it together with the Vienna Circle members) he dedicated most of his lectures and publications to promote scientific philosophy. He also made an important contributions to the establishment of ethics as science and wrote about the theory of geography and the philosophy of history.
Further reading
- Feyerabend, PaulPaul FeyerabendPaul Karl Feyerabend was an Austrian-born philosopher of science best known for his work as a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, where he worked for three decades . He lived a peripatetic life, living at various times in England, the United States, New Zealand,...
: Erkenntnislehre, by Viktor Kraft [Review], in: The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Vol. XIII, 1962/63, p. 319-323. - Radler, Jan: Victor Krafts konstruktiver Empirismus. Eine historische und philosphische Untersuchung, Berlin: Logos 2006 [in German].
- Stadler, FriedrichFriedrich StadlerFriedrich Stadler is an Austrian historian of science and philosopher of science, and professor for history and philosophy of science at the University of Vienna...
: The Vienna Circle. Studies in the Origins, Development, and Influence of Logical Empiricism. - Topitsch, Ernst: Introduction, in: Victor Kraft, Foundations for a Scientific Analysis of Value, ed. by Henk Mulder, Dordrecht-Boston-London 1981 [Vienna Circle Collection, Vol. 15].
- Vollbrecht, Oliver: Victor Kraft: rationale Normenbegründung und logischer Empirismus: eine philosophische Studie, Munich: UtzUtzUtz may refer to:*UTZ Certified, worldwide certification program for responsible coffee production and sourcing*Utz , one of the two sons born to Milkah and Nachor, the brother of Abraham*Utz , Bruce Chatwin's 1988 novel, his last...
2004 [in German].