Carnap Papers

The Rudolf Carnap Papers are a large collection of documents and photographs that record much of his life and career. They are used by scholars and historians not only for research into the life of Carnap but also for research into his theories and the theories of other scholars with whom he corresponded. The Carnap papers are restored, maintained, cataloged and housed in the Archives Service Center, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. They include extensive extensive correspondence with others, lecture outlines for courses that he taught, and drafts of his published works and unpublished manuscripts. Much of the content of the Rudolf Carnap papers is available electronically and searchable through the finding aid through the archives.^[1] His work on metaphysics being essentially a question of semantics is still cited and have been further expanded by other scholars.^[2] His papers document his being considered a major contributor on the question of metaphysics. He was also a member of the Vienna circle.^[3]

History of the collection

The papers were donated by Carnap's daughter Hanna Carnap-Thost in 1974.^[4]

Scope of the collection

The collection is used by those researching personal information and the contents of the collection.^[5][6] The scope of the collection is quite large and contains information on the following subjects

Personal correspondence

Those scholars with whom Carnap corresponded were a large group.

• Logical positivism
• Vienna circle
• Herbert Feigl
• Wilhelm Flitner
• Kurt Gödel
• Carl Hempel
• David Kaplan
• Felix Kaufmann
• Charles Morris
• Otto Neurath
• Arne Næss
• C.K. Ogden
• Karl R. Popper
• W.V. Quine
• Hans Reichenbach
• Moritz Schlick
• Wolfgng Stegmüller

Work in probability

Some of these documents have been digitized. A partial list consists of:

• "Basic System of Inductive Logic"^[7]
• Inductive Logic and Rational Decisions^[8]

References

1. "The Elimination of Physics Through Logical Analysis of Language" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-12-02; translated from the German, Erken11t11i.r, Vol. II (1932) by Arthur Pap
2. Haug, Matthew C. (10 March 2015). "Philosophy Review - Philosophical Methodology; The Armchair or the Laboratory?". Retrieved 2015-12-02; Review by Jamie Carlin Wastson
3. Baggini, Julian (1 September 2011). "A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
4. "Rudolf Carnap Papers, 1905-1970, ASP.1974.01, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh". Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
5. Parrini, Paolo (2003). Logical empiricism : historical & contemporary perspectives. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN 9780822941941.
6. Awodey, S.; Carus, A. W. (2006). "Carnap's dream: Gödel, Wittgenstein, and Logical, Syntax". Synthese. 159 (1): 23–45. doi:10.1007/s11229-006-9066-4. ISSN 0039-7857.
7. "Extra Pages (ditto) Box 19, Folder 8 Rudolf Carnap Papers, 1905-1970, ASP.1974.01, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh" (PDF). Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
8. "Inductive Logic and Rational Decisions: Article 1 "Decision Making," 1969 Box 19, Folder 21 Rudolf Carnap Papers, 1905-1970, ASP.1974.01, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh." (PDF). Guides to Archives and Manuscript Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System. Retrieved 2015-12-02.