Anti-positivism, theoretical sciences and relativity in the Argentina of the 1920s

TL;DR

This paper explores the influence of Anti-Positivist ideas on Argentine scientific and cultural perceptions of relativity in the 1920s, highlighting a shift towards valuing theoretical sciences over traditional experimental methods.

Contribution

It analyzes how Anti-Positivist philosophy impacted Argentine scientific discourse, exemplified by a 1923 paper by two physicists trained in Germany, reflecting a broader cultural shift.

Findings

Detection of a fracture in the perception of relativity in Argentina in the 1920s.

Influence of Anti-Positivist ideas on Argentine scientific and cultural views.

Highlighting a 1923 paper as a key example of new scientific trends.

Abstract

Observing the early years of the 1920's, it is possible to detect a fracture in the perception of relativity theory in Argentina, characterized by the publication of a series of strictly scientific studies on this theory, in parallel with presentations aimed at the general culture. In this work, we attempt to relate this fracture with the advances made by Anti-Positivist ideas in the higher echelons of Argentine culture. The new philosophical approach configured a new vision of science that questioned the traditional methodology of the experimental sciences and attributed to the theoretical sciences a more prominent role than they had in the past. In this work, we present a detailed account of a 1923 paper by Jos\'e B. Collo and Te\'ofilo Isnardi, two young Argentine physicists trained in Germany, which is a representative contribution to this new trend.