ABSTRACT
In the first decades of the twentieth century a new leading pathway in economics emerged, largely defined and delimited by what has come to be known as neoclassical economics. The Austrian-born Otto Neurath, who was cast in the tradition of the central European polymath, left his mark across an array of fields in the first half of the twentieth century. He is perhaps best known as one of the leading figures among the Vienna Circle of philosophers in the 1920s and 1930s, spearheading what was termed logical positivism and engaging in the quest for the unity of science. However, Neurath was trained as economist and engaged in both scholarly pursuits in economic theory and activist applications of it. The effort to situate Neurath in the history of economic thought remains very much a work in progress. There are fragments that offer up possible pieces, but are fraught with contradictory elements or curious complexities, and may not sustain coherent overall picture.
