- Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account
Against Method Fourth Edition
by
Paul Feyerabend
(Author),
Ian Hacking
(Introduction)
Paul Feyerabend
(Author)
Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
See search results for this author
Are you an author?
Learn about Author Central
|

ISBN-13:
978-1844674428
ISBN-10:
1844674428
Why is ISBN important?
ISBN
Scan an ISBN with your phone
Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices.
This bar-code number lets you verify that you're getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. The 13-digit and 10-digit formats both work.

Use the Amazon App to scan ISBNs and compare prices.
Have one to sell?
Add to book club
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club?
Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Buy new:
$17.49
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Get free shipping
Free 5-8 day shipping
within the U.S. when you order $25.00
of eligible items sold or fulfilled by Amazon.
Or get 4-5 business-day shipping on this item for $5.99
. (Prices may vary for AK and HI.)
Learn more about free shipping
Order within 1 hr and 34 mins Details

Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Download to your computer
|
Kindle Cloud Reader
|
Frequently bought together
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (50th Anniversary Edition)Paperback
- The Logic of Scientific DiscoveryKarl R. PopperPaperback
- Bedeviled: A Shadow History of Demons in ScienceHardcover
- Farewell to ReasonPaperback
- Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of KnowledgePaperback
- The Tyranny of SciencePaul K. FeyerabendPaperback
More items to explore
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (50th Anniversary Edition)Paperback
- The Logic of Scientific DiscoveryKarl R. PopperPaperback
- Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (Science and Its Conceptual Foundations series)Paperback
- Philosophical InvestigationsHardcover
- Tractatus Logico-PhilosophicusPaperback
- Being and Time (Harper Perennial Modern Thought)Paperback
Special offers and product promotions
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
“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.
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)
- Customer Reviews:
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
I'd like to read this book on Kindle
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Fearless and inspiring
Discover Black voices on Audible. Learn more
Customer reviews
4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
69 global ratings
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2018
Verified Purchase
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
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
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
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
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
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
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
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
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.
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2021
Verified Purchase
Philosopher Paul Feyerabend made a habit of poking his finger in the eye of tradition, though unable to pull away from the tar baby.
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2010
Verified Purchase
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.
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
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
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
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
Report abuse
Top reviews from other countries

Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2017Verified Purchase
True masterpiece

Danielle H
5.0 out of 5 stars
All about scientific method
Reviewed in Australia on September 10, 2019Verified Purchase
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
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely valuable reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2014Verified Purchase
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
Report abuse

Mark Lisac
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great companion piece to Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Reviewed in Canada on March 6, 2015Verified Purchase
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
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic masterpiece
Reviewed in Germany on October 15, 2016Verified Purchase
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
Report abuse
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
There's a problem loading this menu right now.
Get free delivery with Amazon Prime
Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books.