Paul Feyerabend Book order

Paul Feyerabend, a prominent 20th-century philosopher of science, presents a compelling narrative that explores the rise of rationalism in Ancient Greece, which led to the establishment of a mythical ‘scientific worldview.’ In this accessible work, he challenges prevalent myths about science, particularly the notion that it is inherently successful. Feyerabend argues that fundamental assumptions about science are often misguided, with many scientific ideologies stemming from superficial generalizations that distort our understanding of human life. He contends that scientific theorizing fails to address pressing issues like war and poverty, instead favoring fleeting generalities over the real particulars that imbue life with meaning. The emphasis on objectivity and generality, rooted in abstraction, comes at a significant cost, creating a disconnect between thought and experience. Theoreticians impose a tyranny on concepts, neglecting the subjective experiences that enrich life. Feyerabend posits that practical experience serves as a more reliable guide to reality than theory alone and asserts that all forms of tyranny, even those with noble intentions, can be resisted. Provocative and iconoclastic, this work represents one of Feyerabend’s final contributions and is essential reading for those interested in the impact of science on the modern world.

Philosopher, physicist, and anarchist Paul Feyerabend was one of the most unconventional scholars of his time. His book Against Method has become a modern classic.

This collection delves into Feyerabend's philosophy of quantum physics, addressing the central controversies surrounding his most contentious ideas. It offers a thorough exploration of his unique perspectives and arguments, making it an essential resource for understanding the complexities of his thought in the context of quantum theory.

This collection showcases Feyerabend's philosophical papers, highlighting his influential ideas published from 1960 to 1980. It offers insights into his critical views on scientific methodology and the nature of knowledge, reflecting his unique approach to philosophy of science. The compilation serves as a valuable resource for understanding his impact on contemporary thought and the debates surrounding scientific practices during that era.

From flea bites to galaxies, from love affairs to shadows, Paul Feyerabend reveled in the sensory and intellectual abundance that surrounds us. He found it equally striking that human senses and human intelligence are able to take in only a fraction of these riches. "This a blessing, not a drawback," he writes. "A superconscious organism would not be superwise, it would be paralyzed." This human reduction of experience to a manageable level is the heart of Conquest of Abundance, the book on which Feyerabend was at work when he died in 1994. Prepared from drafts of the manuscript left at his death, working notes, and lectures and articles Feyerabend wrote while the larger work was in progress, Conquest of Abundance offers up rich exploration and startling insights with the charm, lucidity, and sense of mischief that are his hallmarks. Feyerabend is fascinated by how we attempt to explain and predict the mysteries of the natural world, and he looks at the ways in which we abstract experience, explain anomalies, and reduce wonder to formulas and equations. Through his exploration of the positive and negative consequences of these efforts, Feyerabend reveals the "conquest of abundance" as an integral part of the history and character of Western civilization. "Paul Feyerabend . . . was the Norman Mailer of philosophy. . . . brilliant, brave, adventurous, original and quirky."—Richard Rorty, New Republic "As much a smudged icon as a philosophical position holder, [Feyerabend] was alluring and erotic, a torch singer for philosophical anarchy."—Nancy Maull, New York Times Book Review "[A] kind of final testament of Feyerabend's thought . . . Conquest of Abundance is as much the product of a brilliant, scintillating style as of an immense erudition and culture. . . . This book is as abundant and rich as the world it envisions."—Arkady Plotnitsky, Chicago Tribune

Feyerabend's influential approach to the philosophy of science is showcased through a collection of his seminal essays in two volumes. Volume 1 focuses on scientific theory interpretation and its application to specific philosophical and physical problems. In Volume 2, he explores the origins and implications of abstract rationalism on scientific philosophy and research methods. Advocating for a comprehensive pluralism, Feyerabend draws on his extensive knowledge of scientific history, highlighting the broader philosophical and political ramifications of differing perspectives.

Exploring the interplay between realism, rationalism, and scientific method, this collection delves into foundational philosophical issues. The first volume examines the nature of scientific inquiry and its implications for understanding reality. The second volume addresses challenges related to empiricism, focusing on the limitations and scope of sensory experience in knowledge acquisition. Together, these works provide a comprehensive analysis of critical philosophical debates, emphasizing the importance of method in the pursuit of truth.

Conquest of Abundance was prepared from drafts of the manuscript left at the author's death, working notes, lectures and articles Feyerabend wrote while the larger work was in progress. It offers up exploration and insights with the charm, and sense of mischief that are his hallmarks. schovat popis

The text opens with an imaginary dialogue between Lakatos and Feyerabend, which Matteo Motterlini has constructed, based on their published works, to synthesize their positions and arguments. Part one presents the transcripts of the last lectures on method that Lakatos delivered. Part two, Feyerabend's response, consists of a previously published essay on anarchism, which began the attack on Lakatos's position that Feyerabend later continued in "Against Method." The third and longest section consists of the correspondence Lakatos and Feyerabend exchanged on method and many other issues and ideas, as well as the events of their daily lives, between 1968 and Lakatos's death in 1974.

Farewell to Reason offers a vigorous challenge to the scientific rationalism that underlies Western ideals of “progress” and “development,” whose damaging social and ecological consequences are now widely recognized. For all their variety in theme and occasion, the essays in this book share a consistent philosophical purpose. Whether discussing Greek art and thought, vindicating the church’s battle with Galileo, exploring the development of quantum physics or exposing the dogmatism of Karl Popper, Feyerabend defends a relativist and historicist notion of the sciences. The appeal to reason, he insists, is empty, and must be replaced by a notion of science that subordinates it to the needs of citizens and communities. Provocative, polemical and rigorously argued, Farewell to Reason will infuriate Feyerabend’s critics and delight his many admirers.