Paul Feyerabend (3 January 1924 - 11 February 1994)

Contributions to Science/Philosophy

Jan 1, 1924

Paul Feyerabend was a controversial man with an interesting story. He is most notably connected to studies at the University of California Berkeley and ETH Zurich. He was/is considered a radical in his views of science and philosophy. He heavily opposed any scientific method, supported scientific anarchism, and was critical of falsification. He published a well known book, "Against Method", that elaborates on these thoughts and more. https://youtu.be/dldwH8paLH8

January 3, 1924 (Vienna, Austria)

Jan 3, 1924

Paul Feyerabend was born in Vienna, Austria and later became a philosopher of science, soldier, and author. He is best known for his radical thoughts on epistemological anarchism and heavy criticism of falsificationism.

German Soldier (1942-1944)

Apr 30, 1943

Feyerabend served as an officer in the German Army and earned an Iron cross. During WWII, he was shot in the spine by a member of the Russian military and subsequently walked with a cane for the rest of his life. “Chapter 7.” Glaciers of the Alps Being a Narrative of Excursions and Ascents, Etc, by John Tyndall, Project Gutenberg., 1896, pp. 52–52.

Epistemological Anarchism (1964-1994)

Jan 1, 1975

Feyerabend objected to the use of scientific method. He believed the rigidity would limit the creativity of science. He thought that theoretical anarchism was far more productive as it "doesn't limit scientists". "I suspect the answer to many of these questions is affirmative and I believe that a reform of the sciences that makes them more anarchic and more subjective (in Kierkegaard's sense) is urgently needed"(Against Method). Feyerabend, Paul. Against Method. London: Verso, 1993. Print.

"Free Society" (1974-1994)

Jan 31, 1975

Paul Feyerabend believed that science should be fundamentally separated from the state in the same way that religion is. He wished for a society that all "traditions" have equal rights and science wasn't viewed as a dominant source of knowledge. "Feyerabend defended the idea that science should be separated from the state in the same way that religion and state are separated in a modern secular society" (Against Method). Feyerabend, Paul. Against Method. London: Verso, 1993. Print.

Falsification (1970-1994)

Jun 15, 1975

Feyerabend believed that science was AN option, not THE option for knowledge. He used a Galilean example to explain that telescopes could observe more than optical science had rules for.

"So, "ad hoc" hypotheses actually have a positive function: they temporarily make a new theory compatible with facts until the theory to be defended can be supported by other theories" (Death of Irony). Matera, Angelo, "The Death of Irony: Benedict and the Enemies of Reason". National Catholic Register. 2008

Death

Feb 11, 1994

Paul Feyerabend died of a Brain Tumor in February of 1994 (aged 70) in Genolier, Vaud, Switzerland.