Guide to the Rudolf Carnap Papers, 1904-2007 ASP.1974.01

Arrangement

Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Rudolf Carnap Papers
Creator
Carnap, Rudolf, 1891-1970
Collection Number
ASP.1974.01
Extent
44.5 Linear Feet
Date
1904-2007
Date
1920-1970
Abstract
Rudolf Carnap made substantial contributions in the areas of constructional theories, physicalism, the epistemological foundations of physics and mathematics, the syntactical structure of language, semantics, modal logic, and probability theory. Throughout his career he stressed the importance of formal analysis as the key to solving philosophical problems. His papers include extensive correspondence covering his entire life and career, lecture outlines for courses that he taught in Vienna, Prague, and the U.S.; and manuscript drafts and typescripts both for his published works and for many unpublished writings. Digital reproductions of this collection are available online.
Language
English .
Author
Richard Nollan. Revisions by Brigitta Arden and Jason M Rampelt.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman)
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Biography

Born in 1891 in Ronsdorf, Germany, Rudolf Carnap was educated at the Universities of Freiburg and Jena. He studied mathematics, philosophy, and physics, completing his doctoral thesis, Der Raum, in 1921. Before immigrating to America in 1935, Carnap held positions in Vienna and Prague, where he laid the foundations for his own logical empiricism and participated actively in the discussions of the Vienna Circle. After arriving in the United States, Carnap taught at the University of Chicago until 1952, was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study from 1952 to 1954, and held a position at UCLA from 1954 until his death in 1970.

Carnap made substantial contributions in the areas of constructional theories, physicalism, the epistemological foundations of physics and mathematics, the syntactical structure of language, semantics, modal logic, and probability theory. Throughout his career he stressed the importance of formal analysis as the key to solving philosophical problems.

Scope and Content Notes

The Carnap Papers contain some 10,000 pages of letters to and from Carnap, which cover his entire life and career. Since Carnap relied heavily on the mail to discuss important philosophical problems, he corresponded with hundreds of other scholars, among them Herbert Feigl, Carl Gustav Hempel, Felix Kaufmann, Otto Neurath, and Moritz Schlick. A substantial collection of photographs taken throughout Carnap's life depicts him, his relatives, and a number of thinkers with whom he worked closely.

Among Carnap's student notes, perhaps the most interesting come from his seminars with Frege, which were devoted to the Begriffsschrift and the role of logic in mathematics. Also available are Carnap's notes from Russell's seminar at Chicago and notes he took from discussions with Quine, Tarski, Gödel, Hempel, Jeffrey, Heisenberg, and many others.

More than 1,000 pages of lecture outlines for courses that Carnap taught in Vienna, Prague, and the U.S. trace his development as a teacher. Moreover, the collection includes manuscript drafts and typescripts both for his published works and for many unpublished papers and books. In addition, two unpublished papers represent first formulations of Carnap's Aufbau. "Quasizerlegung" ("Quasianalysis," 1932, 21 pp.) outlines the analytical methods for defining quality classes, and "Vom Chaos zur Wirklichkeit" ("From Chaos to Reality," 1922, 14 pp.) represents his first attempt at a construction system using more than six basic relations, instead of one as in the Aufbau. "Topologie der Raum-Zeit-Welt" (Topology of the Space-Time World, 1924) is Carnap's 104-page attempt at a logical reconstruction of the space-time framework of modern physics without using numbers. These are only a few examples of Carnap's many unpublished papers.

The paper's correspondence and manuscripts measure 44.5 linear feet. Much material is written in an outdated German shorthand (the Stolze-Schrey system), which Carnap used extensively since his student days.

Acquisition Information

The papers were acquired from Carnap's daughter Hanna Carnap-Thost in 1974.

Arrangement

The Rudolf Carnap Papers are arranged into 28 series. Detailed scope and content notes can be found at each series level. When the Carnap Papers were initially processed, the intention was to preserve as much as possible Carnap's original filing system (and occasionally lack thereof) as to the order, content, and titles of the file folders. Therefore, unrelated items may appear in series groupings. In addition, some series may partially repeat in subject matter or format.

Series I. Personal Documents, 1914-1970

Series II. Work in Probability (see also related material in series X), 1946-1970

Series III. Carnap's Death, Politics, Graphology: Notes, Clippings, and Correspondence, 1923-1971

Series IV. Photographs

Series V. Correspondence and Diaries, 1908-1970

Series VI. Induction and Probability, 1933-1958

Series VII. Notes and Correspondence of Later Years and Manuscripts on Entropy, 1954-1970

Series VIII. Early Manuscripts, Politische Rundbriefe, and Vienna Circle Records, 1908-1969

Series IX. Reviews of Carnap's Work, 1934-1969

Series X. Studies in Inductive Logic and Probability: Drafts, Discussions, Correspondence (see also related material in series II), 1948-1970

Series XI. Financial Information and Ina Documents, 1904-1969

Series XII. Notes and Correspondence: Probability, Mathematics, Publishers, UCLA Administrative, and Lecture Notes, 1927-1970

Series XIII. "An Axiom System of Inductive Logic" and Schilpp Replies: Ditto Material for Distribution, 1952-1965

Series XIV. Correspondence with Philosophy Authors, 1930-1970

Series XV. Language Systems, Semantics, Value Theory, Logical Modalities, 1932-1962

Series XVI. Publications, Interviews, and Lectures Notes, 1903-1969

Series XVII. Correspondence with Individuals, Organizations, and Institutions, 1930-1970

Series XVIII. Probability Problems, 1952-1962

Series XIX. Health, Travel, Retirement, Books, and Politics, 1937-1970

Series XX. Probability Problems, International Language, and Philosophy of Physics, 1952-1962

Series XXI. Correspondence with Individuals, 1921-1970

Series XXII. Card Files

Series XXIII. "An Axiom System of Inductive Logic" (AS): Drafts and Dittos, 1959-1965

Series XXIV. Publications, Dissertations, and Lecture Notes, 1910-1970

Series XXV. Annotated Books of Carnap's Library

Series XXVI. Card Files

Series XXVII. Supplementary Carnap Material with Varied Provenance, 1913-2007

Series XXVIII. Name Index

Access Restrictions

Some documents relating to medical, financial, and personal information are restricted and noted in the folder title.

Copyright

Property rights reside with the University of Pittsburgh Library System. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections.

Preferred Citation

Rudolf Carnap Papers, 1905-1970, ASP.1974.01, Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Previous Citation

Rudolf Carnap Papers, 1905-1970, ASP.1974.01, Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library.

Processing Information

These papers were processed by Special Collections staff members during the year 1977 and revised by Brigitta Arden in spring of 2011. Further revisions in 2023 by Jason M Rampelt.

Related Material

Rudolf Carnap Papers at the University of California at Los Angeles: http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf7q2nb520

Existence and Location of Copies

A microfilm copy of the papers exist in Archives & Special Collections and in the Philosophical Archives at the University of Konstanz in Germany. Digital reproductions of this collection are available online.

Subjects

    Personal Names

    • Reichenbach, Hans
    • Quine, W. V. (Willard Van Orman)
    • Popper, Karl R. (Karl Raimund)
    • Kaufmann, Felix
    • Morris, Charles W. (Charles William)
    • Næss, Arne
    • Neurath, Otto
    • Ogden, C. K. (Charles Kay)
    • Carnap, Rudolf, 1891-1970
    • Kaplan, David (David Benjamin)
    • Hempel, Carl G. (Carl Gustav)
    • Gödel, Kurt
    • Flitner, Wilhelm
    • Feigl, Herbert
    • Bar-Hillel, Yehoshua
    • Stegmüller, Wolfgang
    • Schlick, Moritz

    Other Subjects

    • Vienna circle
    • Semantics (Philosophy)
    • Logical positivism -- History -- 20th century
    • Logical positivism
    • Science -- Philosophy -- History -- 20th century
    • Science -- Philosophy -- History -- Sources
    • Science -- Philosophy
    • Analysis (Philosophy)
    • Philosophy

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