Wilhelm Neurath

Wilhelm Neurath (1840 - 1901) was an Austrian political economist of the late nineteenth century. He was professor of econimics at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences.[1] Vienna.

Early years

Wilhelm was born near Bratislava into poor but pious Jewish family. He left home to attend primary school between the ages of 9 and 12, but after only 1 year in secondary school, his parents were unable to continue to afford his education. They were also concerned that further study might erode his alignment with their faith. However, by supporting himself as an assistant teacher, he was able, from the age of thirteen, to support his continuing education, learning Latin by helping others to learn it.[2]

At the age of seven, he recalled, he was "deeply stirred" by the his fathers fanatical religious condemnations, and sought solace in is own company wandering in the forests. Strengthened from his dreams about "God's ways", he turned to science particularly physics and astronomy, his favourite book being Lagrange's Mécanique analytique (1788). Soon he added ethnology and philology to his range of interests. However after providing mathematical training to a philosophical writer, he read Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and consequently embraced materialism and atheism.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Uebel, Thomas E. (1995). "Otto Neurath's Idealist Inheritance: "The Social and Economic Thought of Wilhelm Neurath"". Synthese 103 (1): 87–121. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Neurath, edited by Marie; Cohen, Robert S. (1973). Empiricism and sociology : the life and work of Otto Neurath. [S.l.]: Reidel. p. 2. ISBN 978-9027702593.