Accommodating diversity: Feyerabend, science and philosophy

M.A.A pressing problem in contemporary political philosophy is how to accommodate difference justly in culturally diverse societies. A philosopher of science, Paul Feyerabend, has provided an unusual perspective on diversity. He argues that science and its philosophy provide the greatest threat to diversity. The aim of this thesis is to analyse and critically evaluate Paul Feyerabend's attempt to transform science, politics and philosophy to accommodate diversity better. This aim will be accomplished through a literature study of Feyerabend’s relevant texts, political philosophy on diversity, and the most significant philosophies of science. Feyerabend claims that scientific method, science’s dominant role in society, and philosophy, suppress freedom and marginalise diversity. Firstly, he argues that scientific method interferes with the freedom of scientists and the complexity of scientific practice. Secondly, he maintains that science’s dominance in society stifles non-scientific alternatives and the autonomy of citizens to choose between science and these alternatives. Thirdly, he argues that philosophy necessarily suppresses difference by associating knowledge with simple abstract theories, instead of the pluralism of the concrete world. Feyerabend’s political solution to accommodating diversity is to eradicate science’s dominance in society. He aspires to construct a free society that will regard science as equal to all other traditions, and that will increase the autonomy and freedom of both citizens and scientists by eliminating the principles and ideologies imposed on them by scientific and rationalist intellectuals. This dissertation will argue that Feyerabend has contributed to accommodating diversity better by identifying that science can interfere with difference. However, this thesis claims that, overall, Feyerabend is unsuccessful in his contribution to the politics of difference. In fact, his primary failure lies in his lack of sensitivity towards complexity and diversity. I will ii argue, firstly, that Feyerabend’s free society fails to accommodate diversity successfully. Secondly, I will argue that Feyerabend’s condemnation of philosophy is flawed: instead of necessarily suppressing diversity, philosophy can be successfully used to express difference. The conclusion of this thesis, thus, is that although Feyerabend contributes to our understanding of how to accommodate diversity better, his attempts to transform science, politics and philosophy are unsuccessful.Prof. H.P.P. Lötte