Science in a Free Society
{{Short description|Book by Paul Feyerabend}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Science in a Free Society
| image = File:Science in a Free Society.jpg
| caption = Cover of the Verso Book pressing
| author = Paul Feyerabend
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country =
| language = English
| series =
| subjects = History of science
Epistemology
political philosophy
| publisher = Schocken Books
New Left Books
| release_date = 1978
| media_type = Print (Paperback)
| pages = 221
| isbn = 0860917533
| dewey=
| congress=
| oclc =
| preceded_by = Against Method
| followed_by = Science as Art
}}
Science in a Free Society is the 2nd full length book by the Austrian philosopher of science, Paul Feyerabend. It was published in 1978 by Schocken Books and later reprinted by Verso Books. While Feyerabend never published a second edition, Verso pressed four copies in 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1987.{{Cite book|last=Feyerabend|first=Paul K.|title=Science in a Free Society|year=1978|pages=inside flap}}
Parts of the book were reprinted in later editions of Against Method. The book largely develops arguments from the first edition of Against Method and spells out their political implications.{{Cite book|last=Feyerabend|first=Paul K.|title=Science in a Free Society|year=1978|pages=1}} The book also contains a collection of previously published material in which he responds to some of his critics of Against Method. In 1979, Feyerabend also published, in German, Erkenntnis für freie Menschen (Knowledge for Free People), which contains roughly two-thirds of the material from Science in a Society while expanding on some sections and diminishing others.{{Cite book|last=Feyerabend|first=Paul K.|title=Farewell to Reason|year=1987|edition=1|pages=280}}
Content
The book is divided into three sections:
- "Reason and Practice" expounds Feyerabend's theory of rationality as something embedded in, rather than separate from, traditions.
- "Science in a Free Society" develops Feyerabend's views about the place of science in democratic societies.
- "Conversations with Illiterates" provides responses to criticisms of Against Method.
=Reason and Practice=
The first section develops a version of Protagorean relativism. Feyerabend argues against two views: idealism, which he defines as the view that the authority of reason is independent from tradition and practice, and naturalism or the view that the authority of reason derives from practice.{{Cite book|last=Feyerabend|first=Paul K.|title=Science in a Free Society|year=1978|pages=24}} Idealism is wrong, Feyerabend argues, because the authority of reason depends on its ability to be integrated into a coherent practice. If one were to apply a view of rationality to practice and the practice were to suffer, then the theory of rationality can be rejected. Naturalism is wrong because it treats the norms that already happen to be in practice dogmatically. Feyerabend develops a view that synthesizes elements of each, which he claims amounts to a form of relativism.{{Cite book|last=Feyerabend|first=Paul K.|title=Science in a Free Society|year=1978|pages=28}}
To allow for collective decision making when traditions conflict, Feyerabend argues for two kinds of dialogues: "guided" and "open" exchanges.{{Cite book|last=Feyerabend|first=Paul K.|title=Science in a Free Society|year=1978|pages=29}} Guided exchanges require shared assumptions that 'guide' the deliberation process whereas open exchanges have no prior constraints introduced upon dialogue.
=Science in a Free Society=
The second section spells out the political implications of relativism. Feyerabend argues against the view that there should be 'experts' who dictate policy decisions and that experts should be supervised by democratically representative laypeople.{{Cite book|last=Feyerabend|first=Paul K.|title=Science in a Free Society|year=1978|pages=96}} He argues that expertise is often exaggerated and laypeople are competent enough to criticize their views. This includes scientific experts. Because of this, Feyerabend thinks that science and the state should be separated in an analogous way as the religion and the state are separated in secular societies.{{Cite book|last=Feyerabend|first=Paul K.|title=Science in a Free Society|year=1978|pages=106}}
=Conversations with Illiterates=
The final section collects some of Feyerabend's previously published responses to criticisms of Against Method. This section is largely polemical and argues that many of his critics suffered from illiteracy.{{Cite book|last=Feyerabend|first=Paul K.|title=Science in a Free Society|year=1978|pages=125}}
Scholarly reception
Responses to Science in a Free Society were mixed, but largely positive.{{Cite book |last1=Munévar |first1=Gonzalo |editor-last1=Munévar |editor-first1=Gonzalo |chapter=Science in Feyerabend's Free Society |title=Beyond Reason: Essays on the Philosophy of Paul Feyerabend |pages=179–198 |date=1991 |language=en |isbn=978-94-011-3188-9 |publisher=Springer Netherlands |location=Dordrecht |series=Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science |volume=132 |doi=10.1007/978-94-011-3188-9_7 |df=mdy-all }}{{Cite journal |last1=Koertge |first1=Noretta |title=Review of Science in a Free Society |journal=The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=385–390 |date=1980 |doi=10.1093/bjps/31.4.385 |issn=0007-0882 |jstor=687065 |df=mdy-all }}
References
{{Reflist|22em}}
Bibliography
{{Refbegin}}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Clark |first1=Stephen R. L. |title=Review of Science in a Free Society |journal=The Philosophical Quarterly |volume=30 |issue=119 |pages=172–174 |date=1980 |doi=10.2307/2219292 |issn=0031-8094 |jstor=2219292 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Dumez |first1=Hervé |title=Review of Contre la méthode; Science in a Free Society, Paul Feyerabend |journal=L'Année Sociologique (1940/1948-) |volume=33 |pages=301–306 |date=1983 |issn=0066-2399 |jstor=27889717 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Dunlap |first1=Thomas R. |title=Review of Science in a Free Society |journal=Isis |volume=75 |issue=1 |pages=211–212 |date=1984 |doi=10.1086/353452 |issn=0021-1753 |jstor=232378 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Freese |first1=Lee |title=Review of Science in a Free Society |journal=Contemporary Sociology |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=412–413 |date=1980 |doi=10.2307/2064270 |issn=0094-3061 |jstor=2064270 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite news |last1=Joravsky |first1=David |title=Scientists as Servants |work=The New York Review of Books |date=1979-06-28 |url=https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1979/06/28/scientists-as-servants/ |language=en |issn=0028-7504 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Koertge |first1=Noretta |title=Review of Science in a Free Society |journal=The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=385–390 |date=1980 |doi=10.1093/bjps/31.4.385 |issn=0007-0882 |jstor=687065 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Largeault |first1=J. |title=Review of Science in a Free Society |journal=Revue Philosophique de la France et de l'Étranger |volume=169 |issue=4 |pages=448–451 |date=1979 |issn=0035-3833 |jstor=41095149 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite book |last1=Munévar |first1=Gonzalo |editor-last1=Munévar |editor-first1=Gonzalo |chapter=Science in Feyerabend's Free Society |title=Beyond Reason: Essays on the Philosophy of Paul Feyerabend |pages=179–198 |date=1991 |language=en |isbn=978-94-011-3188-9 |publisher=Springer Netherlands |location=Dordrecht |series=Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science |volume=132 |doi=10.1007/978-94-011-3188-9_7 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite journal |title=Review of Research Policy Program; Science in a Free Society; 'The Political Economy of Science' and 'The Radicalisation of Science' |journal=Acta Sociologica |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=201–204 |date=1979 |issn=0001-6993 |jstor=4194294 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Schlagel |first1=Richard H. |title=Review of Science in a Free Society |journal=The Review of Metaphysics |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=383–385 |date=1981 |issn=0034-6632 |jstor=20127668 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Steedman |first1=Philip |title=Review of Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge; Science in a Free Society, P. K. Feyerabend |journal=Theory and Society |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=724–728 |date=1982 |issn=0304-2421 |jstor=657348 |df=mdy-all }}
- {{Cite journal |last1=Steiner |first1=George |title=A revaluation of all values |journal=Nature |volume=277 |issue=5695 |page=415 |date=February 1979 |language=en |doi=10.1038/277415a0 |bibcode=1979Natur.277..415S |s2cid=36697254 |issn=1476-4687 |df=mdy-all |doi-access=free }}
{{Refend}}
{{Paul Feyerabend}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1978 non-fiction books
Category:English-language non-fiction books
Category:Books by Paul Feyerabend