This book argues that the traditional image of Feyerabend is erroneous and that, contrary to common belief, he was a great admirer of science. It shows how Feyerabend presented a vision of science that represented how science really works. Besides giving a theoretical framework based on Feyerabend´s philosophy of science, the book offers criteria that can help readers to evaluate and understand research reported in important international science education journals, with respect to Feyerabend’s epistemological anarchism. The book includes an evaluation of general chemistry and physics textbooks. Most science curricula and textbooks provide the following advice to students: Do not allow theories in contradiction with observations, and all scientific theories must be formulated inductively based on experimental facts. Feyerabend questioned this widely prevalent premise of science education in most parts of the world, and in contrast gave the following advice: Scientists can accept a hypothesis despite experimental evidence to the contrary and scientific theories are not always consistent with all the experimental data. No wonder Feyerabend became a controversial philosopher and was considered to be against rationalism and anti-science. Recent research in philosophy of science, however, has shown that most of Feyerabend´s philosophical ideas are in agreement with recent trends in the 21st century. Of the 120 articles from science education journals, evaluated in this book only 9% recognized that Feyerabend was presenting a plurality of perspectives based on how science really works. Furthermore, it has been shown that Feyerabend could even be considered as a perspectival realist. Among other aspects, Feyerabend emphasized that in order to look for breakthroughs in science one does not have to be complacent about the truth of the theories but rather has to look for opportunities to “break rules” or “violate categories.” Mansoor Niaz carefully analyses references to Feyerabend in the literature and displays the importance of Feyerabend’s philosophy in analyzing, historical episodes. Niaz shows through this remarkable book a deep understanding to the essence of science. - Calvin Kalman, Concordia University, Canada. In this book Mansoor Niaz explores the antecedents, context and features of Feyerabend’s work and offers a more-nuanced understanding, then reviews and considers its reception in the science education and philosophy of science literature. This is a valuable contribution to scholarship about Feyerabend, with the potential to inform further research as well as science education practice.- David Geelan, Griffith University, Australia.
Author(s): Mansoor Niaz
Series: Contemporary Trends And Issues In Science Education Vol. 50
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: 233
Tags: Science Education
Endorsements......Page 6
Preface......Page 8
Acknowledgments......Page 11
Contents......Page 12
Chapter 1: Introduction: Exploring Epistemological Anarchism......Page 16
1.1 Origins of Epistemological Anarchism......Page 18
1.1.1 Science Education and Feyerabend......Page 20
1.2 Chapter Outlines......Page 22
2.1 Introduction......Page 38
2.2 Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchism......Page 39
2.3 Feyerabend Versus Popper and Lakatos......Page 41
2.4 Was Lakatos an Epistemological Anarchist?......Page 42
2.5 Feyerabend and Scientific Expertise......Page 43
2.6 Feyerabend Versus Galileo and Copernicus......Page 45
2.7 Feyerabend and Recent Philosophy of Science......Page 47
2.8 Feyerabend and Perspectivism......Page 50
2.9 Feyerabend and Feminist Epistemology......Page 51
2.10 Feyerabend and the Practice of Science......Page 52
3.1 Method......Page 54
3.1.2 Classification of Articles......Page 55
3.2 Results and Discussion......Page 56
3.2.1 Acid-Base Equilibria......Page 57
3.2.2 Anarchistic Methodology......Page 60
3.2.3 Constructivism......Page 61
3.2.4 Critical Thinking......Page 63
3.2.5 Diversity of Methods......Page 64
3.2.7 Evolution, Knowledge and Belief (to Give Meaning to Life)......Page 65
3.2.9 Incommensurability......Page 70
3.2.11 Newtonian Method......Page 72
3.2.12 Normal Science, Dogmatism and Science Education......Page 74
3.2.13 Polanyi’s Tacit Knowledge......Page 76
3.2.14 Science and Religion......Page 77
3.2.15 Scientific Expertise and Galileo......Page 78
3.2.16 Scientific Method......Page 80
3.2.17 Situated Learning......Page 83
4.1 Method......Page 85
4.2.1 Alternative Literary Forms......Page 86
4.2.3 Evaluation......Page 87
4.2.5 Nature of Science......Page 88
4.2.6 Proliferation of Theories......Page 89
4.2.7 Scientific Method......Page 90
4.2.8 Teacher Demonstrations......Page 91
4.2.9 Worldviews......Page 92
5.1 Method......Page 94
5.2.1 African and Modern Medicine......Page 95
5.2.2 Alternative Approaches to Growth of Knowledge......Page 96
5.2.3 Constructive Alternativism......Page 98
5.2.4 Diversity of Rival Theories......Page 99
5.2.5 Genius in Science......Page 100
5.2.6 History of Science......Page 101
5.2.7 Objectivity Versus Subjectivity......Page 102
5.2.8 Presuppositions of Science Teachers......Page 103
5.2.9 Rationalism......Page 107
5.2.10 Scientific Method......Page 108
6.1 Method......Page 110
6.2.1 Historical-Investigative Approach to Science......Page 111
6.2.2 Kuhn and Normal Science......Page 112
6.2.3 Nature of Science......Page 113
6.2.4 Postmodernism......Page 115
6.2.5 School Science Curriculum......Page 117
6.2.6 Science as Cultural Tyranny......Page 119
Chapter 7: Feyerabend’s Counterinduction and Science Textbooks......Page 121
7.1 Brownian Motion......Page 122
7.2 Kinetic Theory of Gases......Page 123
7.3 Michelson-Morley Experiment......Page 126
7.4 The Oil-Drop Experiment......Page 128
7.5 Alpha Particle Scattering Experiment......Page 135
7.6 Bohr’s Incorporation of “quantum of action” to Classical Electrodynamics......Page 137
7.7 Photoelectric Effect......Page 140
7.8 Wave-Particle Duality......Page 143
7.9 Mendeleev’s Periodic Table of Chemical Elements......Page 146
7.10 Lewis’s Postulation of the Covalent Bond......Page 156
7.11 Discovery of the Planet Neptune......Page 159
7.12 Discovery of the Elementary Particle Neutrino......Page 161
7.13 Discovery of the Tau Lepton......Page 162
8.1 Feyerabend’s Hyperbolic Flourishes......Page 167
8.2 Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchism......Page 168
8.2.1 Counterinduction (Accepting Unsupported Hypotheses)......Page 169
8.2.2 Current View of a Science May Soon Be Voted Out of Office......Page 172
8.2.3 Does Science Always Provide the One “Correct” Model (Theory)......Page 174
8.2.5 History of a Science Becomes an Inseparable Part of the Science Itself......Page 175
8.2.6 Inferring Objectivity from Empirical Approaches......Page 177
8.2.7 Methodological Pluralism: Diversity of Methods......Page 178
8.2.8 Nature of Science......Page 179
8.2.11 Scientific Method: Stockpiling and Ordering of Observations......Page 180
8.2.13 The New Grew Out of the Old......Page 181
8.2.14 Unnatural Nature of Science......Page 182
8.2.15 Was Feyerabend a Postmodern or Perspectival Realist?......Page 183
8.3 Educational Implications......Page 184
Appendix 1: Articles from the Journal Science & Education (Springer) Evaluated in This Study (n = 78)......Page 186
Appendix 2: Distribution of Articles (Science & Education) According to Author’s Area of Research, Context of the Study and Level (Classification), n = 78......Page 190
Appendix 3: Articles from the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (Wiley Blackwell) Evaluated in This Study, n = 21......Page 194
Appendix 4: Distribution of Articles (Journal of Research in Science Teaching) According to Author’s Area of Research, Context of the Study and Level (Classification), n = 21......Page 195
Appendix 5: Articles from the Journal Interchange Evaluated in This Study (n = 15)......Page 196
Appendix 6: Distribution of Articles (Interchange) According to Author’s Area of Research, Context of the Study and level (Classification), n = 15......Page 197
Appendix 7: Articles from the International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching (Springer), n = 6......Page 198
Appendix 9: List of General Chemistry Textbooks Evaluated in Different Studies of This Book (n = 128)......Page 199
Appendix 10: List of General Physics Textbooks Evaluated in Different Studies of This Book (n = 103)......Page 205
References......Page 210
Name Index......Page 225
Subject Index......Page 230
