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I love Paul Feyerabend. I believe that the titel "Against Method" was mainly supposed to be provocative. His main point really is to remind us that Popper's v

I love Paul Feyerabend. I believe that the titel "Against Method" was mainly supposed to be provocative. His main point really is to remind us that Popper's view of science is an idealization and that the process of scientific discovery is much more messy in reality. In other words, he is mainly stating facts about the history of science. Very interesting read with great examples. I also highly recommend his book (actually a set of lecture notes) "Science as an Art" in which he dicusses the similarities and the shared history of science and art.

nickbauman 11y ago
It has always surprised me that the scientific method begins only after a hypothesis is chosen. Forming a hypothesis is often based on inference, even instinct, that has little science behind it. The work of Barbara McClintock comes to mind.
- pacaro 11y ago
  Also worth reading Peter Lipton's "Inference To The Best Explanation" [1] then :) Peter Lipton was my advisor for an undergraduate thesis in HPS at Cambridge, sadly he died quite young [1] http://www.amazon.com/Inference-Explanation-International-Library-Philosophy-ebook/dp/B000OI15SY http://www.amazon.com/Inference-Explanation-International-Li...
  - osullivj 11y ago
    I did Philosophy of Science as a 2nd and 3rd year option in the late 80s at Cambridge. I remember Redwood, but not Lipton. When did you do your thesis?
    - pacaro 11y ago
      I graduated in '93 - I loved the course, but definitely butted heads (to the detriment of grades) with the Marxist tendency of the faculty I have found the History and Philosophy of Science, to be s great preparation for a career as a developer, unfortunately the US CIS trends to disagree making visa/green-card stuff harder than it should have been
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- dexen 11y ago
  Which is neatly surmised in epigram 102.: One can't proceed from the informal to the formal by formal means. -- Alan Perlis, ``Epigrams in Programming'' http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/perlis-alan/quotes.html http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/perlis-alan/quotes.html
pacaro 11y ago
I too love Feyerabend, and would recommend his autobiography "Killing Time"[1], apart from his great writing, it also puts a great deal of context onto his work, and especially onto his relationships with his contemporaries; most particularly Imre Lakatos [1] http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Time-Autobiography-Paul-Feyerabend/dp/0226245322/ http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Time-Autobiography-Paul-Feyera...
swehner 11y ago
It's ok to mention Popper, but the book was more of an argument with Imre Lakatos, as I remember it.

nickbauman 11y ago

It has always surprised me that the scientific method begins only after a hypothesis is chosen. Forming a hypothesis is often based on inference, even instinct, that has little science behind it. The work of Barbara McClintock comes to mind.

pacaro 11y ago
Also worth reading Peter Lipton's "Inference To The Best Explanation" [1] then :) Peter Lipton was my advisor for an undergraduate thesis in HPS at Cambridge, sadly he died quite young [1] http://www.amazon.com/Inference-Explanation-International-Library-Philosophy-ebook/dp/B000OI15SY http://www.amazon.com/Inference-Explanation-International-Li...
- osullivj 11y ago
  I did Philosophy of Science as a 2nd and 3rd year option in the late 80s at Cambridge. I remember Redwood, but not Lipton. When did you do your thesis?
  - pacaro 11y ago
    I graduated in '93 - I loved the course, but definitely butted heads (to the detriment of grades) with the Marxist tendency of the faculty I have found the History and Philosophy of Science, to be s great preparation for a career as a developer, unfortunately the US CIS trends to disagree making visa/green-card stuff harder than it should have been
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
dexen 11y ago
Which is neatly surmised in epigram 102.: One can't proceed from the informal to the formal by formal means. -- Alan Perlis, ``Epigrams in Programming'' http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/perlis-alan/quotes.html http://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/perlis-alan/quotes.html

pacaro 11y ago

I too love Feyerabend, and would recommend his autobiography "Killing Time"[1], apart from his great writing, it also puts a great deal of context onto his work, and especially onto his relationships with his contemporaries; most particularly Imre Lakatos [1] http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Time-Autobiography-Paul-Feyerabend/dp/0226245322/ http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Time-Autobiography-Paul-Feyera...

swehner 11y ago

It's ok to mention Popper, but the book was more of an argument with Imre Lakatos, as I remember it.