Against Method

Author: [[ Paul Feyerabend ]]

The primary thrust of this work is that rationalism only gets us so far as a [[ philosophy of science ]], and often times is artificially limiting to the process of scientific discovery. Feyerabend instead argues for a different approach: “anything goes,” which is to say it is acceptable to rely on non-rational or non-materialist methods to inform the scientific process. In fact, we often do this anyway. To quote [[ Alan Turing ]]’s [[ Computing Machinery and Intelligence ]],

The popular view that scientists proceed inexorably from well-established fact to well-established fact, never being influenced by any improved conjecture, is quite mistaken. Provided it is made clear which are proved facts and which are conjectures, no harm can result. Conjectures are of great importance since they suggest useful lines of research.¹

I think this insight is invaluable, particularly in times when rationalism and science as a whole appears to be out of favor, and utterly powerless to stop humanity from doing all manner of ascientific or antiscientific things (like ignoring climate change, disbelieving electoral processes, and refusing to heed warnings of experts in infectious disease).

A quote that feels especially salient at the moment:

Even the most puritanical rationalist will then be forced to stop reasoning and to use propaganda and coercion, not because some of his reasons have ceased to be valid, but because the psychological conditions which make them effective, and capable of influencing others, have disappeared. And what is the use of an argument that leaves people unmoved?

The start of the next paragraph could not be more devastating in the present day:

Of course, the problem never arises quite in this form.