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iology, and everything that came before culminated in psychology and sociology. Sociology, the queen of sciences, was viewed as a «unifying» science. What was of primary importance for the positivist philosopher was the formation of a ^subjective synthesis» of positive knowledge as a way of envisaging and directing the development of society- Having worked his way up the ladder of the sciences by the appropriate objective methods, the philosopher having scaled the heights of sociology, could then travel down the ladder again and construct a synthesis of them in the light of the unique and essential insight into the inferior sciences afforded by sociology and bearing in mind the requirements of humanity revealed by it. 3 The enduring importance of Positivism for the nineteenth century lay in its emphasis on the scientific method, in its rejection of metaphysics, in its utilitarian ethic of good for Humanity, in its claims for sociology, a word coined by Comte, and in its belief in the possibility, the necessity, for synthesis. This last, the notion of synthesis, is an essential feature of Positivism. For Comte «positive generalities* were able to organise all of human reality as manifested in history and would lead it gradually towards some kind of unity. One commentator, Pierre Ducassee, has put it this way: The positivistic mind coordinates all that is certain, real, useful, precise, but from a relative and organic point of view relative to man considered in his intellectual history, and relative to man conceived of as bearing social values; organic by virtue of the continuing preponderance of the sociological point of view, the source of the conception of ensemble, the veritable synoptic centre of positive knowledge and moral action. 4 In Ducassee's opinion the whole of Comte's life and work was a battle against dispersive specialisms, for Comte emphasised, above all, «the art of coordination, of the correlation of analysis with synthesis, the prudent, precise, generalising assimilation of the results of contemporary science*. 5 Positivism enjoyed some popularity in England, as elsewhere, both for its own sake, and as something in opposition "to which other positions could be defined. Herbert Spencer saw his position as opposed to Comtian Positivism. 6 Yet it showed many points of similarity. Spencer firmly believed in the possibility of obtaining positive knowledge and in the value of synthesising it. Indeed, for him philosophy was no less than «completely unified knowledge*. 7 He was led from considering the essential phenomena of Matter and Motion to the problem of the persistence of Force, and from there to the Laws of Evolution in terms of which all knowledge could be unified. The Laws of Evolution hold true, he asserted, for each order of existence and he went on doggedly in the decades after his First Principles of a New System of Philosophy to «interpret the detailed phenomena of Life, Mind and Society .26
in terms of Matter, Motion and Force» (that is the elementary particles, as it were, from which all evolves) in a series of volumes forming his Synthetic Philosophy. These began to appear in 1864 and the entire work after many reprintings, revisions and additions was finished in 1893. Spencer was widely read on the Continent and was, indeed, one of the most highly regarded philosophers of his time. 8 Otlet read Spencer very eagerly. When he declared his faith in 1889, it was in Positivism and Evolution. He had gone to Paris in 1888 with a synthesising formula based on the notion of Force. He saw the disciplines as rising in complexity and importance to Sociology. Knowledge he recognised as relative. The slogans of Comtian Positivism and Spencer's x
Page 1: . HO YD THE UNIVERSE OF INFORMATION
Page 5 and 6: THE UNIVERSE OF INFORMATION THE WOR
Page 7 and 8: PREFACE Paul Otlet was a pioneer bo
Page 9 and 10: TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE , 3 LIST
Page 11: LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Paul Otlet as
Page 14 and 15: in a diary he kept systematically f
Page 16 and 17: when quite young to forming a natur
Page 18 and 19: than ever to study alone, to resist
Page 20 and 21: thought began to polarise, and that
Page 22 and 23: my room); and Science (plan of stud
Page 24 and 25: merit of all institutions, of all t
Page 26 and 27: scribbling completed when he was wi
Page 28 and 29: his fellow stagiaires and later Bel
Page 32 and 33: no philosopher, but an earnest man
Page 34 and 35: synthesis of knowledge, to bibliogr
Page 36 and 37: could be partitioned from a purely
Page 38 and 39: epertory by author's names. The Off
Page 40 and 41: 14. Edmond Picard and Ferdinand Lar
Page 42 and 43: of years, was also sold, though Edo
Page 44 and 45: fortune. How could he leave him to
Page 46 and 47: Dewey did not reply immediately, an
Page 48 and 49: embracing all subjects whether exis
Page 50 and 51: The conference pressed with almost
Page 52 and 53: 6. The conference resolves that pub
Page 54 and 55: liographies for law and sociology w
Page 56 and 57: instituted to ensure the steady, re
Page 58 and 59: 9. Georges Lorphevre to John Metcal
Page 60 and 61: 31. Moniteur beige, 17 September 11
Page 62 and 63: Chapter IV INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS
Page 64 and 65: aphy, to be truly useful, specialis
Page 66 and 67: more than the titles of the million
Page 68 and 69: International Congress of Physiolog
Page 70 and 71: all subjects should be inventoried.
Page 72 and 73: ment could be done piecemeal by exp
Page 74 and 75: in the Bolletino delle Pubblicazion
Page 76 and 77: necessary explanation of the OIB's
Page 78 and 79: -with it, prepared developments of
Page 80 and 81:
the Conference was making a ruling
Page 82 and 83:
Prize for its exhibition. This was
Page 84 and 85:
who does not know our work with the
Page 86 and 87:
Tipografico G. Civelli, 1899). This
Page 88 and 89:
92. L'Institut International de Bib
Page 90 and 91:
to the systematics of knowledge. Ot
Page 92 and 93:
ture» 24 was pregnant with all sor
Page 94 and 95:
tiers taken from different parts of
Page 96 and 97:
for the second International Confer
Page 98 and 99:
kinds had to be constructed by each
Page 100 and 101:
The publication of this Manual toge
Page 102 and 103:
Otlet's hopes of America and Dewey
Page 104 and 105:
could therefore maintain its spirit
Page 106 and 107:
the decimal numbers. You write 355.
Page 108 and 109:
the present eighth edition (sic) sh
Page 110 and 111:
FOOTNOTES 1. Decimal Classification
Page 112 and 113:
Anzeiger from 1878 to 1895 and cont
Page 114 and 115:
Publication No. 58; Turici: Sumptib
Page 116 and 117:
Chapter THE UNIVERSAL BIBLIOGRAPHIC
Page 118 and 119:
liographic information in notices i
Page 120 and 121:
to a complaint from Herbert Putnam
Page 122 and 123:
nam), carried on their covers their
Page 124 and 125:
government documents, Andrews was t
Page 126 and 127:
•cards relating to a request was
Page 128 and 129:
that the town's library need only b
Page 130 and 131:
to be typed. A member of the Office
Page 132 and 133:
all that was needed at the OIB at a
Page 134 and 135:
Memoires Physiographiques de Pologn
Page 136 and 137:
50. Geddes to La Fontaine, 12 Octob
Page 138 and 139:
Office International de Bibliograph
Page 140 and 141:
under contract from the Belgian gov
Page 142 and 143:
Moniteur beige as a form of simple
Page 144 and 145:
Arctowski's plea and the implicit c
Page 146 and 147:
minations between the publisher, Fo
Page 148 and 149:
President, and President in 1908, a
Page 150 and 151:
ment nor to encourage her to find a
Page 152 and 153:
national service whose object would
Page 154 and 155:
supply the government architect wit
Page 156 and 157:
ned. This sum was to be spent over
Page 158 and 159:
in 1912, and at that time the vario
Page 160 and 161:
work should be analagous to that un
Page 162 and 163:
of the Association for the Museum b
Page 164 and 165:
1908 and got down to work. The docu
Page 166 and 167:
expect them to become more widely e
Page 168 and 169:
The union would involve bibliograph
Page 170 and 171:
5. Catalogue Central des Bibliotheq
Page 172 and 173:
40. Letters for the period, passim,
Page 174 and 175:
77. Georges Lecointe, 1869—1929,
Page 176 and 177:
Chapter VIII THE UNION OF INTERNATI
Page 178 and 179:
had met to negotiate actual peace t
Page 180 and 181:
evelation* to them. They were aston
Page 182 and 183:
Congress. The report presented conc
Page 184 and 185:
involved therefore, however indirec
Page 186 and 187:
its Congresses, the Institute for I
Page 188 and 189:
Two committees were constituted to
Page 190 and 191:
1. Code of rules for administrative
Page 192 and 193:
standard international cataloging c
Page 194 and 195:
and UIA. Always La Fontaine was at
Page 196 and 197:
Although this is a fair summary, it
Page 198 and 199:
It must be a museum of the best typ
Page 200 and 201:
ospect, Sayers thought «quixotic e
Page 202 and 203:
What was being brought to birth was
Page 204 and 205:
33. The full catalogue for the Muse
Page 206 and 207:
66. Congres Mondial des Association
Page 208 and 209:
called the League of Nations (in Fr
Page 210 and 211:
Because of his indefatigable work f
Page 212 and 213:
of making the neutrals understand..
Page 214 and 215:
should be added to the proposed cov
Page 216 and 217:
sations created by diplomatic treat
Page 218 and 219:
Leon Delacroix, they wrote, «our d
Page 220 and 221:
American edition of the classificat
Page 222 and 223:
'•8. A note indicates that among
Page 224 and 225:
43. Nitobe to Otlet and La Fontaine
Page 226 and 227:
on international sections placed un
Page 228 and 229:
hoped to get the League to acknowle
Page 230 and 231:
Otlet wrote to Nitobe and others th
Page 232 and 233:
work of international organisation
Page 234 and 235:
The Palais Mondial The Internationa
Page 236 and 237:
The Palais Mondial The Aeronautic R
Page 238 and 239:
The Assembly appointed a number of
Page 240 and 241:
In de Leon's view there were two po
Page 242 and 243:
of the privileged. And the League o
Page 244 and 245:
printed that year, the Abridged Tab
Page 246 and 247:
of it which had pleased him, but th
Page 248 and 249:
sitions, to which all accretion in
Page 250 and 251:
sort out some of the financial conf
Page 252 and 253:
during this period he also acted as
Page 254 and 255:
Chapter XI L'AFFAIRE DU PALAIS MOND
Page 256 and 257:
sufficient pressure to bear to forc
Page 258 and 259:
finished, «both for the reputation
Page 260 and 261:
"first meeting in August 1922. In i
Page 262 and 263:
the Union sees itself as discarded
Page 264 and 265:
One of them was the future role of
Page 266 and 267:
gested as, a good venue for such an
Page 268 and 269:
The major problem facing the Palais
Page 270 and 271:
not been able to express clearly en
Page 272 and 273:
In early November, however, the Gov
Page 274 and 275:
day, «by gardeners in clogs of del
Page 276 and 277:
ange oi topics covered and decision
Page 278 and 279:
Chapter XII GRADUAL DISINTEGRATION
Page 280 and 281:
The Institute pursues its work acco
Page 282 and 283:
the IIB be drawn up which would set
Page 284 and 285:
for this conference. The first, a T
Page 286 and 287:
The ultimate material expression of
Page 288 and 289:
THE CONFERENCES OF 1924 AND AFTERWA
Page 290 and 291:
keep before the President and the C
Page 292 and 293:
French historian and one time Inspe
Page 294 and 295:
was briefly rescued by support from
Page 296 and 297:
far beyond their resources. He had
Page 298 and 299:
He was disappointed that the Instit
Page 300 and 301:
simply and completely so that they
Page 302 and 303:
with a limited and realistic progra
Page 304 and 305:
Series 2, No. 45; The Hague, Nether
Page 306 and 307:
65. Note signed de Vos to M. le Dir
Page 308 and 309:
C h a p t e r X I I I CHANGE, NEW D
Page 310 and 311:
merit, contrary to the interests of
Page 312 and 313:
national bibliography. He made it c
Page 314 and 315:
the Decimal Classification they mus
Page 316 and 317:
in the year been taken up independe
Page 318 and 319:
the beginning of something new and
Page 320 and 321:
v bad work w wh I know CD t be perm
Page 322 and 323:
tions made. They were sent to Bruss
Page 324 and 325:
making promises that are not kept a
Page 326 and 327:
Moreover, German translation of a n
Page 328 and 329:
had envisaged for encouraging work
Page 330 and 331:
apparent triumph of the Dutch secti
Page 332 and 333:
that the supplements issued to the
Page 334 and 335:
conferences, for example, and he po
Page 336 and 337:
their informal participation, Otlet
Page 338 and 339:
in a single place was splendid in 1
Page 340 and 341:
clearly and exactly.» Alingh Prins
Page 342 and 343:
THE CRISIS RESOLVED For the purpose
Page 344 and 345:
gram oi international institutions,
Page 346 and 347:
44. Comar&tni, p. 329. 45. F. Donke
Page 348 and 349:
89. Paul Otlet, «Sur la situation
Page 350 and 351:
development through things (Nature,
Page 352 and 353:
ternational Committee for Intellect
Page 354 and 355:
sions as many as six, but rarely mo
Page 356 and 357:
lections, but the programs of lectu
Page 358 and 359:
City. A brief examination of Belgiu
Page 360 and 361:
In 1938 he wrote: 1. all my papers,
Page 362 and 363:
not the International Institute [fo
Page 364 and 365:
As he reflected further, he knew th
Page 366 and 367:
••6. «La Jeunesse et Le Palais
Page 368 and 369:
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE WRITINGS OF PAU
Page 370 and 371:
Goldschmidt, Robert and Otlet, Paul
Page 372 and 373:
Jacob, etudiant a la Faculte. Extra
Page 374 and 375:
«Classification
Page 376 and 377:
«Rapport du Secretariat General: s
Page 378 and 379:
INDEX The abbreviations listed at t
Page 380 and 381:
Biscoe, Walter Stanley, 101 Bishop,
Page 382 and 383:
Delisle, Leopold, 60—61, 79n Denn
Page 384 and 385:
Institut International de Bibliogra
Page 386 and 387:
of with Otlet, 332—333; organises
Page 388 and 389:
1900, 76—78; criticises American
Page 390 and 391:
Office International de Bibliograph
Page 392 and 393:
Putnam, Herbert, 116, 118, 119, 123
Page 394 and 395:
Universal Book, 161 Universal Decim
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