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Rudolf Carnap’s first publication, 1922

Der Raum. Ein Beitrag zur Wissenschaftslehre, Berlin, Verlag von Reuther & Reichard, 1922. Large 8vo, 87pp., Kant-Studien, No 56, paper covers browned towards edges, internally excellent, with pages almost entirely unopened.

First edition. From 1910 to1914 Carnap studied philosophy, physics and mathematics at the universities of Jena and Freiburg. He studied Kant under Bruno Bauch and later recalled how a whole year was devoted to the first Critique. Carnap became especially interested in Kant’s theory of space. He also took three courses from Frege.

After the war, Carnap developed a dissertation on an axiomatic system for the physical theory of space and time. He submitted a draft to physicist Max Wien, director of the Institute of Physics at Jena, and to Bruno Bauch. Both found the work interesting, but Wien told Carnap the dissertation was more to do with philosophy than physics, while Bauch said it was the other way round. Carnap then chose to re-write the dissertation under the supervision of Bauch on the theory of space from a philosophical point of view. Entitled Der Raum (Space), the work was clearly influenced by Kantian philosophy. Submitted in 1921, it was published the following year in this supplemental issue of Kant-Studien.

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