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Paul Feyerabend's Birth
Paul Feyerabend was born on January 13, 1924, in Vienna, Austria. His father was a Marine Merchant and his mother was a Seamstress. He attended primary school and high school in Vienna. In this period he got into the habit of reading, astronomy, theatre, and singing. He graduated from high school in April 1942, he was later drafted into the German Arbeitsdienst. "Paul Feyerabend", New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paul_Feyerabend, November 2022 -
MIlitary Service
Feyerabend completed Basic Training in Pirmasens, Germany. He was assigned to a unit in Quelerne en Bas, France. From December 1943 on, he served as an officer on the northern part of the Eastern Front, was decorated with an Iron Cross, and attained the rank of lieutenant. "Paul Feyerabend", New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paul_Feyerabend, November 2022 -
Weimar Academy - Austrian College Society
while attending Weimar, he met Felix Ehrenhaft, a physicist whose experiments would influence his later views on the nature of science. In 1948 he participated in an international summer seminar of the Austrian College Society in Alpbach. This was the place where Feyerabend first met Karl Popper, who had a large influence on him and his work. "Paul Feyerabend", New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paul_Feyerabend, November 2022 -
London School of Economics
Feyerabend explains that during this time, he was influenced by Popper: "I had fallen for [Popper's ideas]." After that, Feyerabend returned to Vienna and was involved in various projects. He was paid to do a number of projects: he translated Karl Popper's Open Society and its Enemies into German, and he did a report on the development of the humanities in Austria. "Paul Feyerabend", New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paul_Feyerabend, November 2022 -
University of Bristol
Feyerabend received his first academic appointment at the University of Bristol. He gave lectures about the philosophy of science. He later described as "anarchistic" or "dadaistic" to illustrate his rejection of the dogmatic use of rules. This position was incompatible with the contemporary rationalistic culture in the philosophy of science. "Paul Feyerabend", New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paul_Feyerabend, November 2022 -
University of California at Berkeley - Retirement
He moved to the University of California at Berkeley in Southern California in 1958 and became a US citizen. Feyerabend later enjoyed alternating between posts at ETH Zurich and Berkeley through the 1980s but left Berkeley for good in October of 1989. After his retirement in 1991, Feyerabend continued to publish frequent papers and worked on his autobiography. "Paul Feyerabend", New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paul_Feyerabend, November 2022 -
The Against Method
In this work, Feyerabend defended the idea that there are no methodological rules which are always used by scientists. He objected to any single prescriptive scientific method on the grounds that any such method would limit the activities of scientists, and hence restrict scientific progress. Feyerabend, Paul. Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge. New Left Books, 1975; Revised ed., Verso, 1988. -
"Science in a Free Society"
In this work, Feyerabend presents his ideas on the relationship between science, society, and freedom.
"A scientist, an artist, a citizen is not like a child who needs papa methodology and mama rationality to give him security and direction; he can take care of himself." Feyerabend, Paul. Science in a Free Society. New Left Books, 1978. -
Interview with Paul Feyerabend
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Feyerabend's Death
Paul Feyerabend died of a brain tumor on February 11, 1994. "Paul Feyerabend", New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Paul_Feyerabend, November 2022