Menger Inscribed to Feyerabend

Wien: Verlag von Julius Springer, 1934. 220 by 150mm (8¾ by 6 inches). Original paper wrappers; IV, 143, [1] pp. Inscribed by the author: ​“Vom Verf.” [From the Author]. With the ownership stamp of Paul Feyerabend (with his Vienna address). Numerous underlines and notations by Feyerabend in the text. In German.

Very good plus, aside from Feyerabend’s underlines and notes; very light bumping to corners.

Documenting the relationship between a famous mathematician and a famous philosopher.

Karl Menger (1902–1985) was an Austrian American mathematician and son of economist Carl Menger. He is primarily known for his work on game theory and a theory known as ​“Menger’s sponge” (or Sierpinski’s sponge). Less well known is that Menger was an active participant of the Vienna Circle, where social science and philosophy were debated. This work arises from that time and is his theory of morals that found reception among economists such as Friedrich Hayek. In this book Menger sought a theory of social cooperation given the moral beliefs of different groups.

This is an author’s presentation copy, and the recipient was philosopher Paul Feyerabend (1924–1994). Feyerabend was an Austrian-born philosopher of science and professor of philosophy at U.C. Berkeley for three decades (1958–1989). Feyerabend was a radical. He became famous for his anarchistic view of science and his rejection of the existence of universal methodological rules. This book has Feyerabend’s numerous margin notes and underlines, which allow an insight into his thought process vis-à-vis moral theory. Feyerabend earned his PhD at the University of Vienna, and it is likely that he met Menger at that time.