A Non-Conformist Longing for Unity in the Fractures of Modernity
Towards a Scientific Biography of Richard von Mises (1883-1953)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4516253 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Reinhard Siegmund-Schultze, Reinhard Siegmund‐schultze (0000-0003-1210-4328, Agder Research, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2004 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 333-370 |
| Publication date | 2004-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science in Context (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0269-8897 • E-ISSN: 1474-0664 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s026988970400016x |
| OpenAlex | W2170470011 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 2 |
ArgumentThe article describes a special type of scientific and philosophical "non-conformism" as exemplified in the versatile work of Richard von Mises (1883-1953). While the historical impact of von Mises' practical and organizational work in applied mathematics is beyond doubt, it is shown that von Mises' insistence on cognitive connectibility of various scientific domains was not, in the end, successful although it stimulated the theoretical discussion considerably. Von Mises developed a principally critical attitude towards what he considered "one-sided" in several streams of modernity and tended to be "anti-modern" even in those of his activities which belonged to "modernism." Reasons can be found in his biographical experiences, in particular in his unorthodox academic education and repeated emigrations. Thus biographical research has considerable potential for historical explanation. The paper delves into the existing premises and sources for a scientific biography of Richard von Mises which is yet to be written, and publishes in the appendix a revealing biographical sketch (1959) authored by von Mises' widow, the applied mathematician Hilda Geiringer
Aesthetics · Art history · Biography · Epistemology · Modernity · Sketch · Sociology · von Mises yield criterion · Chemistry · Engineering · History · History and Theory of Mathematics · Mathematics · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science · Quantum Mechanics and Applications
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,25 |
| Citation span | 2006 - 2022 (17) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |