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Feyerabend's introduction to philosophy
In 1947 Feyerabend enrolled in the University of Vienna. Feyerabend, along with many philosophy students in this university took up the Vienna Circle view. "He recalls that in all interventions he took the radical positivist line that science is the basis of knowledge; that it is empirical; and that nonempirical enterprises are either logic or nonsense." (plato.stanford.edu)
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feyerabend/#RetuVienUnivLifeAlpbPopp1947 -
London School of Economics
In 1952 Feyerabend went to study philosophy at London School of Economics under the tutelage of Karl Popper. "In his autobiography, Feyerabend explains that during this time, he was influenced by Popper: 'I had fallen for [Popper's ideas].' " (newworldencyclopedia) Soon after, Feyerabend goes to take his own stances on philosophy which contradicted Popper's work. This year is also when he came up with the incommensurability concept. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paul_Feyerabend -
University of Bristol
Working at the University of Bristol, Feyerabend met a coworker by the name of David Bohm. David, a physics lecturer, "was to be a significant influence on Feyerabend, weaning him away from Popper with his somewhat Hegelian account of the structure of reality." (plato.stanford.edu) Even though Bohm was an influence on Feyerabend, It was not immediate. Feyerabend initially critiqued some of Bohm's work. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feyerabend/#RetuVienUnivLifeAlpbPopp1947 -
Against Method
"By the early 1970s Feyerabend had flown the falsificationist coop and was ready to expound his own perspective on scientific method. In 1970, he published a long article entitled 'Against Method' in which he attacked several prominent accounts of scientific methodology."(plato.stanford.edu) It was during this time that Feyerabend made an impact on the philosophy of science. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QgRFxr4tu8 https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feyerabend/#RetuVienUnivLifeAlpbPopp1947 -
Epistemological Anarchism
Feyerabend's lasting contribution to the philosopy of science revolves around his epistemological anarchism view. He feels that by having strict methods and rules to follow, one can only inhibit science. "He also thought that theoretical anarchism was desirable because it was more humanitarian than other systems of organization, by not imposing rigid rules on scientists."(newworldencyclopedia.org) http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paul_Feyerabend