Before we get to the books, let’s start with the obvious question: what was the Vienna Circle? The Vienna Circle was a group of philosophers, all of whom had mathematical and scientific training, who began to meet in 1924; their discussion group continued for a dozen or so years. They were, effectively, disbanded when the fascists took over in Austria in 1934 – and then, in 1936, their urbane leader, Moritz Schlick, was murdered. They had a radical new approach to philosophy.
