Paul Feyerabend Austrian philosopher Date of Birth: 13.01.1924 Country: Austria

1. Biography of Paul Feuerabend
2. Early Life and Education
3. Academic Career and Contributions

Biography of Paul Feuerabend

Paul Feuerabend was an Austrian philosopher specializing in the philosophy of science, who held the position of professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley for three decades, from 1958 to 1989. He traveled extensively and lived in various countries including England, the United States, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, and finally settled in Switzerland.

His major works include the book 'Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge' published in 1975, 'Science in a Free Society' in 1978, and 'Farewell to Reason', a collection of articles published in 1987. Feuerabend became famous for his allegedly anarchistic approach to science and his denial of the existence of universal methodological rules. He is considered a key figure in the philosophy of science, having influenced the development of this discipline, as well as the sociology of scientific knowledge.

Early Life and Education

Paul Feuerabend was born on January 13, 1924, in Vienna. Due to World War I and severe inflation, his parents had to wait a long time before they could afford to have their first and only child. When he was born, his mother was almost 40 years old. During his school years, he developed a habit of constant reading, became interested in theater, and took singing lessons.

In March 1938, Austria became part of the German Reich. Feuerabend's parents welcomed the Anschluss, while he described his attitude towards the Nazis as naive and emotional. He was not a passionate supporter, but also did not condone the atrocities he witnessed during the war. When he graduated from high school in April 1942, Paul was conscripted into the Reich Labor Service. After basic training in the city of Pirmasens in western Germany, he ended up in a unit near the French city of Brest.

After a short leave, he volunteered for the army and completed officer training, hoping that by the time of graduation, the war would already be over. However, Feuerabend was mistaken. While undergoing training in Yugoslavia, his mother committed suicide. In December 1943, as a newly commissioned officer, he was sent to the northern front line of the Eastern Front, earned the Iron Cross, and the rank of lieutenant. During the retreat of the German army (and the advance of the Soviet army), Feuerabend was shot three times in the abdomen and arm, with one bullet hitting his spine. As a result, he walked with a cane for the rest of his life and often experienced severe pain (despite the physical disability, he was married four times).

He spent the rest of the war in a clinic in Apolda and studied singing in the neighboring city of Weimar. When the war ended, Feuerabend found temporary work in a theater in Apolda, where he wrote plays influenced by Bertolt Brecht and even received an offer from Brecht to become his assistant at the Berlin State Opera, but he declined.

Academic Career and Contributions

Feuerabend took several courses at the Weimar Academy and returned to Vienna to study history and sociology, but became disillusioned and switched to physics and then philosophy. In 1951, he received a scholarship from the British Council and the following year went to England to study at the London School of Economics. Feuerabend then returned to Vienna and participated in various projects: working on the translation of his scientific supervisor Karl Popper's book 'The Open Society and Its Enemies', developing a report on the development of the humanities in Austria, and writing several articles for an encyclopedia.

In 1955, Feuerabend obtained his first academic position at the University of Bristol, where he lectured on the philosophy of science. In 1958, he moved to California and became a naturalized American citizen. He later taught at Berkeley, Auckland, Sussex, Yale, London, Berlin, and Zurich, but always returned to California, until finally, in October 1989, he moved to Italy and then Switzerland. In 1991, he retired but continued to frequently publish his works and wrote his autobiography. Towards the end of his life, Feuerabend was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and on February 11, 1994, at the age of 70, he passed away at the Genolier Clinic on the shores of Lake Geneva.