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[1977] Hermann von Helmholtz in the History of Scientific Method In 1921, the centenary of Helmholtz' birth, Paul Hertz, a physicist, and Moritz Schlick, a philosopher, published a selection of his papers and lectures on the philosophical foundations of the sciences, under the title Schriften zur Erkenntnistheorie. Combining qualities of respect and criticism that Helmholtz would have demanded, Hertz and Schlick scrupulously annotated the texts. Their edition of Helmholtz was of historical influence, comparable to the influence among contemporary mathematicians and philosophers of Hermann Weyl's annotated edition in 1919 of Riemann's great dissertation of 1854 on the foundations of geometry. For several reasons, we are pleased to be able to bring this Schlick/ Hertz edition to the English-reading world: first, and primary, to honor the memory of Hermann von Helmholtz; second, as writings of historical value, to deepen the understanding of mathematics and the natural sciences, as well as of psychology and philosophy, in the 19th centur- for Helmholtz must be comprehended within at least that wide a range; third, with Schlick, to understand the developing empiricist philosophy of science in the early 20th century; and fourth, to bring the contributions of Schlick, Hertz, and Helmholtz to methodological debate in our own time, a half century later, long after the rise and consolidation of logical empiricism, the explosion of physics since Planck and Einstein, and the development of psychology since Freud and Pavlov.
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BOSTON STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE VOLUME XXXVII HERMANN VON HELMHOL TZ EPISTEMOLOGICAL WRITINGS
SYNTHESE LIBRARY MONOGRAPHS ON EPISTEMOLOGY, LOGIC, METHODOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF SCIENCE AND OF KNOWLEDGE, AND ON THE MATHEMATICAL METHODS OF SOCIAL AND BEHA VIORAL SCIENCES
Managing Editor:
J AAKKO
HINTIKKA,
Academy of Finland and Stanford University
Editors: ROBER T S. COHEN, DONALD DAVIDSON,
Boston University University of Chicago
GABRIEL NUCHELMANS, WESLEY C. SALMON,
University of Leyden
University of Arizona
VOLUME79
Pastel by von Lenbach. 1894
HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ (1821-1894)
(By Courtesy of Friedr. Vieweg& Sohn, 1977)
BOSTON STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE EDITED BY ROBERT S. COHEN AND MARX W. WARTOFSKY
VOL UME XXXVII
HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ
EPISTEMOLOGICAL WRITINGS THE PAUL HERTZ/MORITZ SCHLICK CENTENARY EDITION OF 1921 WITH NOTES AND COMMENTARY BY THE EDITORS
NEWL Y TRANSLATED BY MALCOLM F. LOWE EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND BIBLIOGRAPHY, BY ROBERT S. COHEN AND YEHUDA ELKANA
D. REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY DORDRECHT-HOLLAND /BOSTON-U.S.A.
librlry of Congre$ Cltlloging in Publicltion Dill Helmholtz, Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von, 1821 - 1894 . Epistemological writings. (Boston studies in the philosophy of science: v. 37) (5ynt hese library; 79) Translation of Schrirten zur Erkenntnistheorie. ' Works by Helmholtz'; p. Bibliography: p. Includes index. [I. Schlick, \. Knowledge, Theory of. I. Hertz, Paul, 1881 Moritz., 1882- 1936. III. Lowe. Malcolm F, IV. Cohen, Robert Sonne. VI. Title. V[1. Series. V. Elkana, Yehuda, 1934121 77-20909 B3279.HS3 53713 ISBN-l3: 978-90-277-0582-2 e-ISBN-]): 978-94-0 10- 111 5-0 DOl: 10.10071978·94-010-1115-0
Trans{a/ed from
SC H RIFTEN ZU R ER KE NNTN IST H EORIE firsl published by Julius Springer. Berlin, /921
Published by D. Reidel Publishing Company, P.O. Box 17, Dordrecht, Holland Sold and distributed in the U.s.A., Canada and Mexico by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Inc. Lincoln Building, 160 Old Derby Street, Hingham, Mass. 0204), U.S.A.
All Rights Reserved Copyright © 1977 by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordr