Igor Hrušovský on social sciences

Juraj Hvorecký

pp. 151-162

in: Radek Schuster (ed), The Vienna circle in Czechoslovakia, Berlin, Springer, 2020

Abstract

Early works of Igor Hrušovský present the best example of influence of the Vienna Circle on the Czechoslovak philosophy. Especially his first three books and early articles published before 1945 show a keen interest and a detailed knowledge of the Circle. We briefly introduce his general philosophy of science that is heavily influenced by positivism and then concentrate on a single line within his thought. His scientism and a keen interest in biology lead Hrušovský to an adoption of a vitalistic theory, inspired by experiments of Hans Driesch. He believes in entelechy and holistic approaches to living organisms. We show how Hrušovský transfers this holism onto the social domain. Holism, together with an acknowledgment of the role of historicity in the domain of social sciences, eventually make him an adherent of socialism. We demonstrate how his adoption of socialist tendencies after the WWII arises from his interwar scientism. We also comment on some remarks on Hrušovský by other Slovak philosophers and assess his legacy both within the positivist movement, but also within larger Slovak intellectual life.

Cited authors

Driesch Hans

Hrušovský Igor