Abstract

Since the publication of Against Method, Paul K. Feyerabend has not had a particularly good reputation among scientists. Fortunately, some scientists think otherwise. For example, Stephen J. Gould has claimed that Against Method inspired him in his formulation of the theory of punctuated equilibria. Yet Feyerabend essentially developed Ludwig Wittgenstein's, Karl Popper's, Thomas Kuhn's and Imre Lakatos’ ideas, and those of philosophers usually appreciated by scientists. Unlike them, however, he bore the brunt of criticism because he dared to challenge, with “dadaist” humor, the scientific method, stating that “the only principle which does not inhibit scientific progress is: anything goes.” For the cultured scientist, the core of his nobility lies in the method.