Damned Lies. An Statistics. Otto Neurath and Soviet Propaganda in the 1930s

Abstract

The life and times of Otto Neurath are briefly outlined. The principles of his Isotype Picture Language are reviewed and are critically examined in the light of descriptive statistics. The pre-history and origins of Isotype are traced to the United States, ultimately to the pragmatist philosopher and pioneer semiotician, Charles Sanders Peirce, but more directly to the statistician, Willard Brinton and to Neurath’s friend and associate, Charles W. Morris. Neurath’s views of analytical philosophy and the social sciences are summarized and contrasted with ideas put forward by Popper and Wittgenstein. Finally, Neurath’s personal credibility and scientific integrity are tested by looking at his contributions to Soviet propaganda in the early 1930s.