Paul Feyerabend 1924-1994

  • Early Work

    In 1955, with the help of Karl Popper and Erwin Schrödinger, Feyerabend was able to secure his first academic post. In 1958, in the work, “An Attempt at a Realistic Interpretation of Experience” Paul argued that knowledge trickles down from theory to experience. It is here we see the beginnings of his radical coherentist view of philosophy of science. Feyerabend, P., & Broad, C. D. (1958a). An attempt at a realistic interpretation of experience. s.n.
  • Against Method

    Feyerabend expands upon his flavor of theoretical pluralism and incommensurability, arguing that different theories are based upon different fundamental propositions and principles, and therefore there is no basis of comparison between theories. Their logical components are alien to one another. Feyerabend, P. (2010). Against method. Verso. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QgRFxr4tu8
  • Science in a Free Society

    Feyerabend was hit with a wave of critical backlash and accusations of being mean and nasty in the responses to his book, "Against Method." His own responses were contained in his following book, "Science in a Free Society." He argues that science's privileged place in society is resultant from those who have already chosen it as their ideology. Feyerabend, P. (1987). Science in a free society. Verso.
  • The Tyranny of Science

    Feyerabend argues that science is not a monolith. Science is incomplete, disunified, and claims that it is the standard of human reason and knowledge are dubious. The book is a brutal critique of Scientism and traces scientific ideas to their source, that is the greeks commonly, and argues that the stories made up by those philosophers are less interesting or revealing than the plays and tragedies by their contemporaries. Feyerabend, P., & Oberheim, E. (2015). Tyranny of science. Polity Press.