What do you think?
Rate this book
Otto Neurath: The Language of the Global Polis
This book traces Neurath's global understanding of the modern metropolis as a 'global polis', representing an idea about collectivity premised on cultural and linguistic universality. Although much attention has been given to Neurath's achievements in the field of graphic design and philosophy, he has never been treated in the context of urbanism and architecture. Yet from 1931 onwards, he collaborated with the International Congress of Modern Architecture (CIAM) and its chief exponents - Cornelis van Eesteren, Sigfried Giedion, Le Corbusier and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy - on the project of deriving an international language of urban planning and design. And his close relationship with bibliographer Paul Otlet, and the 'cité mondiale' project triggered Neurath's engagement with questions of international communication and understanding.
The book first deals with Neurath's engagement with the modern metropolis, then turns to his growing fascination with visual media and the rise of the Vienna Method of Pictorial Statistics, and finally focuses on the project of the global polis and the ways in which Neurath attempted to internationalize the aims of his Museum of Society and Economy through collaborations with CIAM and Otlet, and by establishing satellite museums across the world.
Both scholarly and well written, Vossoughian's text offers a new perspective to one of the most formidable intellectuals of the interwar period, as well as fresh insights in the relation between politics and the polis in the 20th century.
The book first deals with Neurath's engagement with the modern metropolis, then turns to his growing fascination with visual media and the rise of the Vienna Method of Pictorial Statistics, and finally focuses on the project of the global polis and the ways in which Neurath attempted to internationalize the aims of his Museum of Society and Economy through collaborations with CIAM and Otlet, and by establishing satellite museums across the world.
Both scholarly and well written, Vossoughian's text offers a new perspective to one of the most formidable intellectuals of the interwar period, as well as fresh insights in the relation between politics and the polis in the 20th century.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2008
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 3, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. Neurath had some interesting ideas and the most engaging parts of this book were, for me, when those ideas were brought to the front. But the book seemed mostly to become bogged down with names and dates of the people and organizations with whom Neurath worked.
Read
February 15, 2013711.4 V9711 2011
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews