Late Feyerabend on materialism, mysticism, and religion.
Studies in history and philosophy of science June 1, 2016 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2015.11.017 via PubMed
Summary
Feyerabend's later writings critique scientific materialism while highlighting the benefits of religious perspectives, emphasizing human needs for mystery, reverence, and love that science does not fulfill. He contrasts these values with the limitations of a monistic view of science and reason. His insights are positioned as a response to modern calls for science-based secularism from philosophers of science.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Feyerabend argues that religious orientations satisfy human needs for mystery, reverence, and love in ways that scientific materialism cannot. |
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Abstract
Feyerabend's interests in religion and mysticism grew through his career. In his later writings, Feyerabend's numerous critiques of scientific materialism are often accompanied by purported advantages of religious orientations and temperaments. These recommendations do not simply follow from his tolerant theoretical pluralism; they are more positive attempts to articulate distinctive aspects of human life satisfied by religion, but not by scientific materialism. Elevating the human need for mystery, reverence, and love, he contrasts these goods with the deliverances of monistic conceptions of science and reason. I bring attention to some of the common themes in these remarks to argue that they were integral with other parts of his philosophical project and that they could serve as helpful rejoinders to contemporary exhortations to science-based secularism from philosophers of science.