Feyerabend and scientific values : tightrope-walking rationality / by Robert P. Farrell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Farrell, Robert P.

Series:

Boston studies in the philosophy of science ; v. 235.

Boston studies in the philosophy of science ; v. 235

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Feyerabend, Paul, 1924-1994.

Feyerabend, Paul.

Science--Philosophy.

Science.

Rationalism.

Physical Description:

x, 247 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Dordrecht ; Boston : Kluwer Academic Publishers, [2003]

Contents:

1 Feyerabend's Reductio ad Absurdum of 'Rationalist' Philosophies 5

1.2 Feyerabend's Conception of 'Rationalist' Philosophy 7

1.3 Feyerabend's Reductio 12

1.4 Feyerabend, Galileo and 'Rationalist' Philosophies 18

1.4.2 The Reductio ad Absurdum of Empiricism 18

1.4.3 The Reductio ad Absurdum of Popper's Falsificationism 26

1.4.4 Galileo and Lakatos's Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes 35

1.5 Feyerabend's Rhetoric: Propaganda, Irrationality and Subjective Wishes 39

2 Feyerabend, Lakatos and Anarchism 44

2.2 Feyerabend's Reductio of Lakatos's MSRP 46

2.2.2 Theory Appraisal: Intra-Research Programme 47

2.2.3 Theory Appraisal: Inter-Research Programme 51

2.2.4 Feyerabend's Reductio of MSRP 55

2.2.5 Content Increase and the Circularity of MSRP 60

2.3 First Steps Towards a Positive Alternative Account of Rationality 64

3 Feyerabend's Incommensurability and the Pragmatic Theory of Observation 71

3.2 Feyerabend's Incommensurability as Formal Incommensurability 72

3.2.1 Universal Theories 72

3.2.2 The Logical Empiricist Background 75

3.2.3 The Pragmatic Theory of Observation 78

3.2.4 Meaning Variance and the Failure of Formalism 80

3.2.5 Popperian Incommensurability 82

3.3 Responses to Feyerabend's Incommensurability 87

3.3.1 The Strategy of Misinterpretation 87

3.3.2 The Irrelevance of Reference 92

3.4 Feyerabend's Commensurability 95

4 Feyerabend's Relativism 100

4.2 Realism and Relativism 101

4.3 Feyerabend's Changing Attitudes Towards Relativism 106

4.3.1 Science in a Free Society 106

4.3.2 Farewell to Reason 112

4.4 Quantum Physics and Complementarity 117

4.5 Quantum Physics and the Theoretical/Empirical Dichotomy of Traditions 122

5 Feyerabend and Pluralism 133

5.2 Popper and Empirical Content 135

5.3 Relevant and Irrelevant Potential Falsifiers 138

5.4 Basic Statements and Initial Conditions 140

5.5 Rival Theories and the Duhem Thesis 143

6 Popper, Methodological Pluralism and Epistemic Values 147

6.2 Popper's Axiological Normativity 148

6.3 Feyerabend's Axiological Normativity 150

6.3.2 Feyerabend's Early Popperianism 151

6.3.3 Problems With Feyerabend's Early Popperianism 151

6.3.4 Feyerabend's Gradual Awareness of the Problem 153

6.3.5 The Principles of Proliferation and Tenacity 154

6.4 Feyerabend as a Comprehensively Critical Popperian 155

6.5 Feyerabend's Methodological Pluralism: Relativist or 'Rationalist'? 157

7 Kuhn on Paradigms, Rules and Values 163

7.2 Some Confusions in Kuhn's Philosophy 164

7.2.1 Scientific Rules 164

7.2.2 Paradigms 165

7.2.3 The Wittgensteinian Analogy 167

7.2.4 'Crisis' and Paradigm Change 169

7.3 The Importance of Scientific Values 170

7.3.1 Kuhn's Introduction of Values 170

7.3.2 The Wittgensteinian Analogy and Scientific Values 173

7.3.3 Scientific Rules and Scientific Values 174

7.3.4 Scientific Values and Paradigms 175

7.3.5 The 'Logic' of Values 178

7.3.6 Normal Science and Paradigm Change 181

8 Tightrope-Walking Rationality: Feyerabend's Metanarrative 188

8.2 Consolations for the Specialist 190

8.2.2 The Critique of Kuhn 190

8.2.3 The Critique of Popper and Lakatos 192

8.2.4 Philosophical Versus Practical Traditions 193

8.3 Feyerabend's Two Argumentative Chains 194

8.3.2 Two Argumentative Chains 195

8.4 Theoretical/Abstract Versus Empirical Traditions 199

8.4.2 Empirical Traditions 199

8.4.3 Theoretical/Abstract Traditions 200

8.4.4 Two Traditions and Two Principles 200

8.5 Values-Based Rationality 202

8.5.2 Why Values? 203

8.5.3 The Dynamical/Tensional Nature of Feyerabend's Values 205

8.5.4 Normativity and Values-Based Rationality 207

8.6 Feyerabend: Postmodernist or Tightrope-Walking Rationalist 209

9 Feyerabend and World-Views 214

9.2 Non-Reductive Metaphysical World-Views 217

9.2.2 Metaphysical, Non-Reductive, Naturalism 217

9.2.3 Reductive Versus Non-Reductive Naturalism 220

9.3 Feyerabend and World-Views 224

9.3.2 The Aristotelian World-view and the Scientific Revolutio 225

9.3.3 Epistemological Anarchism and Forms of Life 227

9.3.4 The Scientific World-View and Alternative World-Views 229.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [237]-243) and index.

ISBN:

1402013507

OCLC:

52152688