The Making of Scientific Philosophy

This book traces the emergence and development of scientific philosophy from its Kantian origins in the late 18th century to the present. It examines this heterogeneous tradition through a systematic case study of Alois Riehl, one of the most influential yet understudied figures in late 19th- and early 20th-century German philosophy. Riehl developed a distinctive version of scientific philosophy that combined critical realism, Kantian epistemology, and deep engagement with the sciences. This book shows how he bridges classical German philosophy and early analytic philosophy, offering a model of philosophy done by scientific methods without reducing philosophical questions to scientific ones. Through critical engagement with Helmholtz, Mach, Cohen, Wundt, Husserl, Nietzsche, Cassirer, Schlick, and Einstein, Riehl's contributions illuminate broader conceptual tensions between philosophy and science, normativity and empiricism, and historical continuity and conceptual renewal. Adopting an integrated history and philosophy of science approach, this book demonstrates how scientific philosophy constitutes not merely a historical episode but a long-standing and evolving mode of philosophical inquiry. The Making of Scientific Philosophy will appeal to scholars and graduate students working on the history and philosophy of science, Kant and neo-Kantian philosophy, logical empiricism, and 19th-century intellectual history.