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Early Life
Paul Feyerabend was born on January 13, 1924 at Vienna, Austria. He was known by others as "brilliant, outrageous, life-enhancing, unreliable, and, a loveable individual." Early on, he took a liking to singing, theater, and reading. By the age of sixteen, he was known to know more about physics and mathematics than his teachers. He completed his grade school curriculum in Vienna. -
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Military Life
Paul Feyerabend was drafted into the German military after graduating high school. He completed his basic training in Pirmasens, Germany. Feyerabend's will to survive led him to avoid front line battling and pursue officer school. He was ranked from private soldier to lance corporal, to sergeant, and finally, became a lieutenant for the eastern front during WWII. He became a major in Poland in 1945, but suffered from war injuries throughout his life that caused him to rely on a cane to walk. -
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Back to School
Paul Feyerabend attended the University of Vienna’s Institut für Osterreichische Geschichtsforschung. He studied history and sociology. However, he crashed a lot of philosophy classes during his time there. He also attended a summer seminar where he met the famous philosopher, Karl Popper. He received his doctorate in 1951 after completing his thesis, "Observational Statements." -
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UC Berkeley
Feyerabend moved to the United States after obtaining his citizenship and became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He became a full time lecturer in 1960 after ending commitments with other universities. In the 1960's, the student movements inspired him to question the politics revolving the philosophy of science. He believed that external social factors have influence on experimental results. Therefore, he claimed science to be a western dominant discourse. -
Major Works
Paul Feyerabend wrote works that challenged the way science was approached by scientists. In his work, Against Method, he claimed that the scientific method limited the progress of science and suggested for a scientific revolution where scientists revolt against rules and methods in science to reach new breakthroughs. Furthermore, his published book, Free in Society took his original idea of a scientific anarchism and discussed how the western science is not democratic at all and conceals biases
