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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2005.08.014 Byline: Thomas Uebel Author Affiliation: Philosophy, School of Social Science, University of Manchester, Dover Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

There is a unique tradition in Austrian philosophy, and this is evident in the work on Otto Neurath's philosophy of science. In fact, Neurath himself identified such an Austrian tradition. Danilo Zolo fails to recognize this tradition, possibly due to his interpretation of Neurath. Zolo too easily identifies Neurath as a post-empiricist. Zolo also makes too large a claim that Neurath opposed the 'thoughtful wishing' doctrine. These mistakes occur when the social context of Neurath's time are overlooked.

Otto Neurath, a member of the Vienna Circle, anticipated naturalistic epistemology, defined as 'austere explanation of the practice of theory acceptance.' A precursor not only of W.V.O. Quine but also of Thomas Kuhn and other 'anti-positivists,' Neurath combined naturalism with the sociological and historical turn in epistemology in a way still relevant to contemporary debates. His association with the Vienna Circle, with which he was often at odds, probably contributed to his later neglect.

Mirowski claims that philosophy of science has lost the plot because it has consistently failed to pay attention to the economics of science. All the present respondents are pathetic to Mirowski's concern, but most of them, to varying degrees and in different ways, find fault with his allegation that the philosophical orthodoxy has not been challenged with much effect.