Against Method Fourth Edition

by Paul Feyerabend (Author), Ian Hacking (Introduction)

69 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-1844674428

ISBN-10: 1844674428

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Paul Feyerabend’s globally acclaimed work, which sparked and continues to stimulate fierce debate, examines the deficiencies of many widespread ideas about scientific progress and the nature of knowledge. Feyerabend argues that scientific advances can only be understood in a historical context. He looks at the way the philosophy of science has consistently overemphasized practice over method, and considers the possibility that anarchism could replace rationalism in the theory of knowledge.

This updated edition of the classic text includes a new introduction by Ian Hacking, one of the most important contemporary philosophers of science. Hacking reflects on both Feyerabend’s life and personality as well as the broader significance of the book for current discussions.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A devastating attack on the claims of philosophy to legislate for scientific practice.”—New Society

“A brilliant polemic.”—New Scientist

“Since it was first published in 1975, Against Method has followed Popper’s The Logic of Scientific Discovery and Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions into becoming a classic text in the debate about scientific methodology and scientific reasoning.”—The Philosopher

“A powerful critique.”—London Review of Books

“Against Method is more than a book: it is an event.”—Archives de Philosophie

About the Author

Paul Feyerabend was Professor of Philosophy at UC Berkeley, and Professor of the Philosophy of Science at the Federal Institute of Technology at Zurich. He died in 1994. His books include Philosophical Papers, Farewell to Reason, and Against Method.

Ian Hacking is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto. He is the author of Historical Ontology, Scientific Revolutions, and The Emergence of Probability.

Product details

Publisher : Verso; Fourth Edition (May 11, 2010)
Language : English
Paperback : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 1844674428
ISBN-13 : 978-1844674428
Item Weight : 14.2 ounces
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.85 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #120,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #39 in Anarchism
- #55 in Political Ideologies
- #58 in Philosophy Criticism (Books)

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Paul Fitzsimons

How to tiptoe around the jagged cliffs of scientific theories.

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2018

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Give man 1,000 years and he will discover that the Earth goes around the sun. I read this waiting for Paul to say, "to hell with science!" But he never advocated anything so destructive. And this is good because technology is so dependent on research and development. Give credit where credit is due. If we ever enter a new paradigm, it will include all that we have accumulated and discard quite a bit as well. This paradigm may never even question what we were tinkering around with in the sciences. We can only hope that technology doesn't give rise to anarchy. Wisdom of crowds will dominate and the lonely laboratory technician will send the sheep to the next stage of our evolutionary history. The method of science is sound for now and we should count our blessings that we have discovered most of what was there to be discovered. Let's hope we can find our way to prosperity, truth, and beauty.

5 people found this helpful

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Elvin

Case Well Made

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2017

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This book does precisely what it says it will do - challenge the scientific method's claim as The Epistemology. The body of the work is a detailed historical case study which he uses to make a historicist argument against the current scientific method, and the argument is both interesting to follow and rigorous. The Appendices are more impressive in my opinion, although noticeably more difficult. In there Feyerabend creates a larger system of argument and attempts to attack the scientific method not only empirically, but also theoretically. The last chapter is of course a completely different species, and in my opinion fundamentally elevates the work. Read it for yourself to find out.

13 people found this helpful

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Verity

Read the funny anecdote about Feyerabend driving in with Feynman to Berkeley ...

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018

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Every physicist anf mathematician needs to read this. Every anarchist needs to read this. Feyerabend was friends with Feynman. Read the funny anecdote about Feyerabend driving in with Feynman to Berkeley over the Goldengate.

8 people found this helpful

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Dave

While I do not adhere to Mr. Feyerabend's point ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2017

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While I do not adhere to Mr. Feyerabend's point of view, I thoroughly concur with his concerns with Science as a publicly funded activity and privileged authority. An entertaining and inciteful set of ideas.

5 people found this helpful

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Yuanxiao X.

One of my top 3 favorite books of all time

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2020

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This was a wonderful read; I couldn't put it down. It had more than I needed to know about Galileo. But otherwise, I would recommend this book to everyone.

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Michael J. Gellerman

Pushing the limits on the Philosophy of Science

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2021

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Philosopher Paul Feyerabend made a habit of poking his finger in the eye of tradition, though unable to pull away from the tar baby.

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P. J. Rowan

Very satisfying. Necessary. But how does a dead man keep updating a book?

Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2010

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Feyerabend is pretty good at updating books from beyond the mortal veil. Nonetheless, I am reading an older copy. It is really awesome. I agree with most other reviews. I do agree that it stronger in urging "scientists" to be less rigid with method, and that the polemic has less focus on declaring how an anarchistic science should be favored over other strategies for gaining knowledge, such as superstition, rumor, tradition, new age insights, and so on.

Myself, this is helpful as I see medical / biological / health care research desperately grabbing for methodological security from the "gold standard" of the RCT, the peer-reviewed journal, the imprimatur of the "expert as in climate science lately, and so on, while ignoring and even detracting from more fruitful pursuits. Lately, commentors have gently noted this, and have gently urged more exploration of "pragmatic trials," subset analysis, post-hoc exploartional analysis, and so on. But it is vauable to have the Feyerabend viewpoint put forth strongly.

Normally, I dislike reading various "critical," or "structural," or marxist evaluations of various topics, but it works here - back on Hegel's home turf of epistemology.

One person found this helpful

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Richard H. Pierce

Bravo for Feyerabend

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2016

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A great book - probably more timely and necessary and insightful in 2016 than when written. Feyerabend was and is obviously a "feather-rustler" of the scientific establishment - for which I am grateful to him. I have spent a lot of years being suspicious of the pious, arrogant, self-serving, omnipotent attitude of some/much of science and scientists. I have become painfully aware of how many grand proclamations and expectationshave been foiled onto humanity, especially the under-privileged, under-developed, and unwitting - only to have history show them way short of the mark and actually doing great harm to lesser populations and our Planet.

For the 1st time for me, Feyerabend lays bare the follies of the scientific method, the damage it does, and the new, creative ideas it attempts to squash in the name of method - really, though, in the name of power, control, and arrogant hierarchies. I've felt that most new, good, ground-breaking science has come in spite of the method - from outliers, amateurs, radicals and radical approaches. He is right on - very focusing for me. And, with science in need of a new view of science, of people, of the planet, and a new approach - his is a refreshing and necessary effort if we are to move ahead into the real world of diversity, equality, and quality, esp. with Natuarla Systems, complex situations, and chaos - which is where the big problems facing us lie.

Bravo for brave new ideas against an establishment long over-due for a "reset" and which would allow brave new proposals leading to world-changing and world-view changing results.

Bravo

Dick Pierce

22 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Cliente Amazon

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2017

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True masterpiece

Danielle H

All about scientific method

Reviewed in Australia on September 10, 2019

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A bit heavy to read on the philosophy side, need some familiarity with Popper, Kant, Lenin, Marx, Hegel, Kierkigaard - get my drift, but apart from that, its pretty comprehensive review of the power and lack of power science has to explain things much less itself

The Prussian Reader

Extremely valuable reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2014

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This book should not be reduced to one of its statements, "anything goes", because Feyerabend's argument is much more complex than that. Feyerabend tells us in a convincing way that the progress of science is made possible by people who do NOT act according to established rules and by people who put ostensibly obvious truths into question. Feyerabend was a very educated man, and his book should be read by every scientist, but also by the public at large - at last as long as we are free to think on our own.

5 people found this helpful

Mark Lisac

Great companion piece to Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Reviewed in Canada on March 6, 2015

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Compelling argument and unfailingly interesting writing. Great companion piece to Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions, although in this one you get a much stronger sense of the author's mind and personality

GianSolo

A classic masterpiece

Reviewed in Germany on October 15, 2016

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The groundbreaking book against the Method and the scientist devotionism. A refreshing read for everybody working with research even today. A must.

One person found this helpful

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