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Overview/Video
Paul Feyerabend influence in the philosophy of science, challenged the old idea that there is just one way to do science. His saying "anything goes" has had a big impact on many young sociologists of science. His ideas about relativism and social constructivism have spread widely. Some even say he leans towards irrational thinking. It’s still too soon to tell how his philosophy will be remembered, but as time would tell, so far, so good! https://youtu.be/UbDM5Wnvqh0 -
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Foundational Interests and Talents
Born in Vienna in 1924, young Feyerabend was curious about many things like physics, astronomy, drama, and singing too . His wide interests helped him think outside the box later on when he questioned strict scientific methods. -
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Formative Experiences During Wartime
The war years changed Feyerabend significantly. The Anschluss and WWII made him see limits in rigid systems. Studying astronomy and opera during these tough times expanded his views on science. -
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Evidence of Philosophical Depth
After World War II, Feyerabend returned to Vienna to study philosophy, emmersing himself in dialogue with greats Alpbach, Popper, and Wittgenstein. This enhanced his love of reasoning and strong arguments, furthering progressive thought in his ability to challenge existing systems (Preston). -
Feyerabend “A Raving Positivist”
John Preston accounts event in 1947 quoting, “Returned to Vienna to study history and sociology at the University. Soon transferred to physics. First article, on the concept of illustration in modern physics, published. Feyerabend “a raving positivist” at the time”, in his article.🤔 -
Challenging Scientific Methodology (1975)
In 1975, Paul Feyerabend published "Against Method." This book shook up ideas about science. He challenged the scientific process being objective truth, as a way to do science right. He believed in being flexible and creative with methods. His idea that "anything goes" changed how people thought about scientific rules in deciding what is ”true” knowledge. -
Works Cited
Feyerabend, Paul K. Against Method. 4th ed., Verso Books, 2010. Preston, John, "Paul Feyerabend", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2020/entries/feyerabend/. All content used on this timeline are licensed under
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/