Perspectives on Science 11 (2):208-235 (2003)
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Abstract |
This paper explores Paul Feyerabend's (1924-1994) skeptical arguments for "anarchism" in his early writings between 1960 to 1975. Feyerabend's position is encapsulated by his well-known suggestion that the only principle for scientific method that can be defended under all circumstances is: "anything goes." I present Feyerabend's anarchism as a recommendation for pluralism that assumes a realist view of scientific theories. The aims of this paper are threefold: (1) to present a defensible view of Feyerabend's anarchism and its motivations, (2) to articulate the minimal form of realism that such a view presupposes, and (3) to consider the implications and limitations of such a perspective in contemporary philosophy of science.
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Keywords | Paul Feyerabend Thomas Kuhn Pluralism Scientific Realism Scientific Change Scientific Objectivity |
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DOI | 10.1162/106361403322495894 |
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References found in this work BETA
Robustness, Reliability, and Overdetermination (1981).William C. Wimsatt - 2012 - In Characterizing the Robustness of Science. pp. 61-78.
History of Science and its Rational Reconstructions.Imre Lakatos - 1971 - In R. C. Buck & R. S. Cohen (eds.), PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association. D. Reidel. pp. 91-108.
Explanation, Reduction and Empiricism.Paul K. Feyerabend - 1962 - In H. Feigl and G. Maxwell (ed.), Crítica: Revista Hispanoamericana de Filosofía. pp. 103-106.
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Citations of this work BETA
Virtues and Vices in Scientific Practice.Cedric Paternotte & Milena Ivanova - 2017 - Synthese 194 (5).
Was Feyerabend an Anarchist? The Structure of ‘Anything Goes’.Jamie Shaw - 2017 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 64:11-21.
DSM-5 and Psychiatry's Second Revolution: Descriptive Vs. Theoretical Approaches to Psychiatric Classification.Jonathan Y. Tsou - 2015 - In Steeves Demazeux & Patrick Singy (eds.), The DSM-5 in Perspective: Philosophical Reflections on the Psychiatric Babel. Springer. pp. 43-62.
Why Did Feyerabend Defend Astrology? Integrity, Virtue, and the Authority of Science.Ian James Kidd - 2016 - Social Epistemology 30 (4):464-482.
View all 21 citations / Add more citations
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