Against Method

Description:
Contemporary philosophy of science has paid close attention to the understanding of scientific practice, in contrast to the previous focus on scientific method. Paul Feyerabend's acclaimed work, which sparked controversy and continues to fuel fierce debate, shows the deficiencies of many widespread ideas about the nature of knowledge. He argues that the only feasible explanation of any scientific success is a historical account, and that anarchism must now replace rationalism in the theory of knowledge. This updated edition of this classic text contains a new foreword by Ian Hacking, a leading contemporary philosopher of science, who reflects on Feyerabend's life and personality as well as the continuing relevance of his work.

Review:
Praise for Against Method A brilliant polemic.A' New Scientist A devastating attack on the claims of philosophy to legislate for scientific practice.A' New Society A powerful critique.A' London Review of Books Against Method is more than a book: it is an event.A' Archives de Philosophie 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.A' The Philosopher

Author Biography:
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 other books include Philosophical Papers and Farewell to Reason.