Living signs: Theory and materiality in the work of Otto Neurath

Henning, M. (2008) Living signs: Theory and materiality in the work of Otto Neurath. In: Engaging Objects, Amsterdam, 26-28 March 2008. [Unpublished]

Full text not available from this repository

Abstract

Using the work of Otto Neurath, this paper considers theory as a material social practice. Some scholars see in Neurath’s work a ‘naïve’ belief in the possibility of the clear, unambiguous, transmission of facts untainted by their material support. Yet in his commitment to the ‘de-Babelizing’ project of the democratization of knowledge, Neurath experienced first-hand how information and ideas change from one medium to another, and the impact of the cultural contexts and materials in which they circulate. This paper considers his use of different technical and linguistic media as part of larger social and material practices in 1940s Britain.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Otto Neurath
Faculty/Department:	~Pre-2010 Faculty Structure > Faculty of Creative Arts > School of Creative Arts > Department of Culture, Media and Drama Faculty of Arts, Creative Industries and Education > Department of Creative Industries
ID Code:	11135
Deposited By:	G. Brown
Deposited On:	23 Aug 2010 09:22
Last Modified:	22 Nov 2012 15:59