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Paul Feyerabend (1924-1994)
Paul Feyerabend was a philosopher of science who made significant contributions to the field of epistemology. He was born in Vienna, Austria, and received his education at the University of Vienna and the London School of Economics. Feyerabend was a prolific writer, and his work challenged many of the assumptions that underlie traditional scientific inquiry. -
Against Method
Feyerabend's most famous work is "Against Method". In it, he argued that there is no single, universally applicable scientific method that can be used to investigate all areas of inquiry. Instead, he advocated for an approach to science that is more open-ended and flexible, which he called "epistemological anarchism." For Feyerabend, scientific progress is best achieved by encouraging a diversity of methods and ideas, rather than imposing a rigid framework of rules and principles. -
Summary
Feyerabend's other notable contributions to the philosophy of science include his critiques of positivism, realism, and reductionism. He argued these traditional approaches to science are too narrow and fail to capture the complexity of scientific inquiry. He also criticized the idea that science is a value-free, objective pursuit of truth. He believed that science is inevitably shaped by social and cultural factors, and that scientific theories are always provisional and subject to revision. -
Partially Examined Life #281: Paul Feyerabend's Anarchist Philosophy of Science
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Bibliography
Feyerabend, Paul. Science in a Free Society. Verso Books, 2017.
---. Three Dialogues on Knowledge. Wiley, 1991.
Feyerabend, Paul, and PAUL K. AUTOR FEYERABEND. Against Method. Verso, 1993.