Blind Eyes, Innuendo and the Politics of Design (A Reply to Clive Chizlett)

Abstract

The foundations of Clive Chizlett’s arguments in his article, Damned Lies, are contested. Against the notion that Otto Neurath was a communist and agent of Soviet propaganda, the facts of Neurath’s political commitment are set out. In his life and work, Neurath was a democratic socialist, committed to the ideals of open discussion. Much of Chizlett’s case rests on W.W. Bartley’s book, Wittgenstein, which is shown to be a flawed source. The claim that Neurath borrowed ideas from Willard Brinton is shown to be trivial and equally without foundation. Chizlett’s view of graphic information rests on the view that it is either hard science or pure art. This dichotomy prevents an understanding of his subject.