1924- . US philosopher of science, who
rejected the attempt by certain philosophers
(for instance Popper) to find a methodology
applicable to all scientific research. His
works include Against Method 1975. Although
his work relies on historical evidence,
Feyerabend argues that successive theories
that apparently concern the same subject (for
instance the motion of the planets) cannot in
principle be subjected to any comparison that
would aim at finding the truer explanation.
According to this notion of
incommensurability, there is no neutral or
objective standpoint and therefore no
rational way in which one theory can be
chosen over another. Instead, scientific
progress is claimed to be the result of a
range of sociological factors working to
promote politically convenient notions of how
nature operates.