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A (Future) Anti-Methodologist Born!
Feyerabend was born on this day in Vienna, Austria. His father was a civil servant and his mother a seamstress. -
Period: to
Paul Feyerabend
Lifespan of Paul Feyerabend. -
Exit World War II, Enter: Vienna
Feyerabend was drafted into the German Army in 1942. While serving as an officer he was wounded in 1945; studied in Weimar before returning to Vienna to study history and sociology. He shortly transferred to physics to pursue his greater interests. -
Receives Ph.D.; British Council Scholarship
Feyerabend applied for and received a scholarship to study under Ludwig Wittgenstein at Cambridge; Wittgenstein died before Feyerabend arrives in England, Feyerabend chooses to study under Karl Popper (the two met in 1949). He studies quantum theory. -
“Problems of Empiricism” Published
“Problems of Empiricism”, Beyond the Edge of Certainty: Essays in Contemporary Science and Philosophy, R.G. Colodny (ed.), New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1965, pp. 145–260. -
Epistemological Anarchism and Popper-bashing
Feyerabend coined the term “epistemological anarchism” in his essay version of Against Method; he becomes known as an anarchist and “enemy” to science. Feyerabend also published “Consolations for the Specialist” where he criticizes Karl Popper’s, his former tutor, ideas. Solidifying the differences between Popper’s and Feyerabend’s ideas about philosophy of science. -
Against Method Podcast/Video
The following video (of a podcast) contains a short synopsis on Against Method. The creator of the video, Steven Allard, offers his assessment of the work and identifies the book’s main themes. https://youtu.be/85pzjUvBZSI -
Publication of Against Method
Feyerabend releases Against Method; the book’s main thesis posits scientific methodology is nonexistent. He claims successful scientists violate empirical methods to test and/or validate theories and find facts. -
Science in a Free Society Published
Science in a Free Society, London: New Left Books, 1978 -
Problems of Empiricism Published
Problems of Empiricism (Philosophical Papers, Volume 2), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981. -
Realism, Rationalism, and Scientific Method Published
Realism, Rationalism, and Scientific Method (Philosophical Papers, Volume 1), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981 -
Farewell to Reason Published
Farewell to Reason, London: Verso/New Left Books, 1987 -
Three Dialogues on Knowledge Published
Three Dialogues on Knowledge, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1991 -
Death
On this day Paul Feyerabend died, in Switzerland, of an inoperable brain tumor (discovered in 1993). His autobiography was published the following year. -
Autobiography Published - Posthumously
Killing Time: The Autobiography of Paul Feyerabend, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995
