Feyerabend's Critical View Of Science

Feyerabend, Popper, and Kuhn were called "the four tycoons in scientific philosophy" by the circle of European and American philosophy, their influence to the development of scientific philosophy is very large. Feyerabend broke out from the circle of scientific philosophy, and became the most dangerous enemy to "standard scientific philosophy", also, he erected a pole of alternative scientific. He overwhelmed the classic viewpoints of orthodox scientific philosophy, criticized almost all the orthodox scientific philosophers. He claimed that freed and democratic view of science is needed, opposed the view of science Nazism and science chauvinism. He denied the particularities of science methodology, insisted that we should hold the anarchism epistemology which demands the view'"what to do is OK". This study aims to expound Feyerabend's thought of scientific view, and fix science methodology, and science pluralism together as an integrated theory structure through the Chinese translation of Feyerabend's works which can be collected and the elaborately reading to his works. And, we can accumulate some materials to establish a dominant scientific view which consists of Inclusiveness, openness, and advancement through selecting the finest from Feyerabend's thought of scientific view.Feyerabend criticized standard scientific view relentlessly. He destroyed the objectivity of rationality, the neutrality of fact and the monism of method distinguishly because they played very important role in the standard scientific view. Rationality means that citizens can get the guides from specialists instead of getting them from their lives; this is the today's meaning of "to be rational". The concept "rationality" is equivocal, it's almost impossible to define them clearly, compelling to use rational thinking will result in the contrary end:the "rational" process may results in amount of problems, while the irrational process often leads to succeed. "While we mention that a process or viewpoint is objective, it is just equal to announce that man's expectations, thoughts, attitudes and wishes are impartible, they are all effective. Such point is a basic one to scientists and intellectuals in recent times." Fact is the outcome by observation under special theoretical guide and special conditional constrains, so, fact can't be pure neutral that is separate from theory. The method which is not scientific also has its value, the method which is scientific and rational also has its limitation, and the method of science activity is just scientific instrument. Feyerabend deconstructed the science Nazism of standard scientific view point, and punctured the myth of science Nazism. He deconstructed the three hypothesizes of science Nazism without any spare, deconstructed the thought of delimitation. Also, he deconstructed the two reasons which is to defend science Nazism. Feyerabend reckons that heterogeneous things should not be expelled by science, or these things would impede the development of science. Since different viewpoints would be scientific ones, so, delimiting some rigid dividing line between science and non-science by force is not only lame in theory but also won't work in practice. But, his critique to the thought of the demarcation of science is not just absolute or abstract; his meaning is that demarcation should not be the obstruction of improvement. The standard scientific philosophy presumes that the concept "science Nazism" has two reasons:firstly, science has the right method and can also use it to gain products. The second, science produces and has many products which can prove that this method has the right of priority. Feyerabend deduced the opposite conclusion from the logic of rationalism:"every method is allowed." Feyerabend reckons that it is not science's own achievement even if science was favored and got the particular supreme status.Feyerabend is not only good at criticizing and deconstructing, meanwhile, he also paid much attention on constructing his own theoretical system. In the aspect of methodology, Feyerabend opposes the methods which are single, arbitrary, unchangeable and dogmatically universal applicable, he proposed that we need the kind of method which is exoteric, free styled, vigorous, and also, this method can uncover the secrets of nature effectively. And the so-called method is "every method is allowed." It is the basic principle of Feyerabend's plural methodology. Feyerabend considered that in the process of theoretical proliferation, every thinking element and method can be contributive to the development of scientific theory. Theory pluralism is the basic character of objective knowledge. Feyerabend put forward that we need to raise some hypothesizes which are discords to the theories that have been universally acknowledged as more as possible, and replace theory pluralism by theory monism. This is his so-called "principle of proliferation." Feyerabend claimed that we should encourage inviting new theories in one aspect, also, preventing giving up the old theories which have been retorted is needed in the other aspect. So, he named it as "the principle of tenacity." This principle makes us possible to insist the "theory T" when we are facing some facts which are hard to solve. But meanwhile, we can use other theories, these theories highlighted that though "theory T" has its using difficulties, it supplied us the methods to solve these difficulties. So, we must admit the principle of diffusion.In conclusion, Feyerabend is a top-ranking thinker and philosopher who came out from the camp of scientific philosophy and has the eyesight of the whole world and the care of humanities. He has mainly developed a philosophical frame which is cored by "human's lives" in his lifetime. He claimed that methods should not be all objected, what should be objected is the abuse of method; science can not be criticized thoroughly, what should be criticized is the alienation of science.