The Constitution of geistige Gegenstände in Carnap’s Aufbau and the Importance of Hans Freyer

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this paper is twofold: to consider Rudolf Carnap’s ideas about the so-called geistige Gegenstände – i.e., the products of the human mind – in his Der logische Aufbau der Welt (1928) and to discuss these ideas in the context of Hans Freyer’s philosophy. I will argue that if one takes a look at Hans Freyer’s Theorie des Objektiven Geistes (1923) and Carnap’s Aufbau, the similarities are quite striking. Taking into account their shared experiences in the German Youth Movement (Jugendbewegung) and their continuous friendship and discussions from the early 1910s until 1933, these similarities seem to be more than merely superficial or accidental. Consequently, when one considers the impact of Freyer and the so-called Dilthey School on Carnap, then it becomes clear that the German roots of Carnap’s Aufbau go much deeper than is commonly acknowledged.