Feyerabend’s Theoretical Pluralism: An Investigation of the Epistemic Value of False Theories

TY - CHAP

T1 - Feyerabend’s Theoretical Pluralism

T2 - An Investigation of the Epistemic Value of False Theories

AU - Wray, K. Brad

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - I critically examine Feyerabend’s defense of theoretical pluralism, illustrating key claims with a case study of an episode in the history of early modern astronomy, when Tycho Brahe published his new theory of the cosmos. I argue that contemporary defenses of pluralism tend to emphasize the fact that when scientists consider more theories they are more likely to hit up the truth or a theory close to the truth. This was not Feyerabend’s rationale for theoretical pluralism. In his defense of theoretical pluralism, Feyerabend emphasizes the importance of comparative evaluation in determining the epistemic merits of competing theories. Further, I argue that when there are multiple theories from which to choose, scientists are able to make the transition from a long-accepted theory to a new theory in a gradual, piecemeal fashion.

AB - I critically examine Feyerabend’s defense of theoretical pluralism, illustrating key claims with a case study of an episode in the history of early modern astronomy, when Tycho Brahe published his new theory of the cosmos. I argue that contemporary defenses of pluralism tend to emphasize the fact that when scientists consider more theories they are more likely to hit up the truth or a theory close to the truth. This was not Feyerabend’s rationale for theoretical pluralism. In his defense of theoretical pluralism, Feyerabend emphasizes the importance of comparative evaluation in determining the epistemic merits of competing theories. Further, I argue that when there are multiple theories from which to choose, scientists are able to make the transition from a long-accepted theory to a new theory in a gradual, piecemeal fashion.

KW - Feyerabend

KW - pluralism

KW - theoretical pluralism

KW - Tycho Brahe

M3 - Book chapter

SP - 72

EP - 88

BT - Interpreting Feyerabend

A2 - Bschir, Karim

A2 - Shaw, Jamie

PB - Cambridge University Press

CY - Cambridge

ER -