From: "Eli Landau" <elilandau00-AT-hotmail.com>
To: <feyerabend-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 05:35:43 +0200
Subject: Re: [PKF] There's no such thing I tell you!


Hi Chris

If you didn't read that, so it a good starting point to deal with your 
queries 
http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/feyerabe.htm


Eli

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <chris.steinbach-AT-csteinbach.com>
To: <feyerabend-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 9:11 AM
Subject: [PKF] There's no such thing I tell you!


> Hi folks,
>
> Feyerabend believed there to be no such thing as the scientific method.
> That’s what *they* say about him if you care to google a bit. And
> why shouldn’t they? He wrote a book entitled "Against Method" after
> all.
>
> The funny thing is that, I don’t remember Feyerabend using those
> words --"there is no scientific method". But my memory is bad, and most of
> my Feyerabend books are back in Sweden where I used to live. In any case
> I’m stuck, for a moment, with a sense of discomfort when I see this
> routine introduction.
>
> I’m wondering what I should attribute that discomfort to. Is it that
> I’m offended at the gross simplification of Feyerabend’s
> philosophy?  It could be that, although it’s in the nature of
> introductions to simplify. Or possibly I find it disheartening that
> Feyerabend rarely gets more attention than this meagre reference.
>
> It is possible though, that putting these words into Feyerabend’s
> mouth doesn’t do him justice even as an introduction. It might be
> going too far to call the words misleading, but "no such thing as
> scientific method" doesn't seem to strike the nail squarely on the head.
>
> What would that mean: "no such thing"? Perhaps it has something to do with
> the lack of a good definition. Historical exponents of scientific method
> like Francis Bacon, Descartes and Newton did not produce identical, or
> even similar, methods. And the modern day, bullet point version of the
> method changes in detail with every presentation. But I can’t
> imagine Feyerabend getting hung up of definitions. If this really is what
> he thought, then it must be in practical terms that we see there is "no
> such thing".
>
> Anyway, I thought that by writing things out like this I would achieve
> some kind of clarity. But now it’s late and the only thing that
> I’m clear on is that I should get some sleep.
>
> Goodnight to you all,
>
> /Chris Steinbach
>
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