Organon F
Volume 27, August 2020, Issue 3, Pages 302–324
ISSN 2585-7150 (online) ISSN 1335-0668 (print)
Research Article
Feyerabend’s Alternative Theories within Goodman’s Worldmaking
Nicole Fišerová
https://doi.org/10.31577/orgf.2020.27302
The main purpose of this paper is to compare two pluralistic approaches to knowledge, Goodman’s theory of worldmaking and Feyerabend’s methodological anarchism. It therefore examines firstly, the concept of world-versions, which according to Goodman create our worlds and at the same time are crucial for achieving a better understanding of reality; and secondly, the concept of alternative theories which are built upon pluralism and, according to Feyerabend, secure knowledge and make scientific progress possible. Feyerabend’s concept has been rejected by many, seemingly for its lack of limitations. In line with this argument, I propose that based on the comparison of these two pluralistic approaches, the alternative theories can be understood as a part of worldmaking, for Goodman’s theory has wider applicability since it encompasses not only science but also art. Furthermore, I suggest adopting Goodman’s principle of rightness, the criterion of functionality in his worldmaking, as a criterion within Feyerabend’s methodological anarchism when establishing the prevailing theory. It is to be expected that such a juxtaposition will uncover inconsistencies, in particular regarding boundless relativism and the vague terminology in both conceptions.
Alternative theories; methodological anarchism; Nelson Goodman; Paul Feyerabend; philosophy of science; theory of symbols; worldmaking; world-versions.
Author
Nicole Fišerová
Affiliation
University of West Bohemia
Address
Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of West Bohemia, Sedláčkova 19, 306 14 Plzeň, Czech Republic
Received
25 January 2019
Accepted
26 November 2019
Published online
20 December 2019
Publishers
Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences
Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
APA
Fišerová, N. (2020). Feyerabend’s Alternative Theories within Goodman’s Worldmaking. Organon F, 27(3), 302–324. https://doi.org/10.31577/orgf.2020.27302
Chicago
Fišerová, Nicole. 2020. "Feyerabend’s Alternative Theories within Goodman’s Worldmaking." Organon F 27 (3): 302–324. https://doi.org/10.31577/orgf.2020.27302
Harvard
Fišerová, N. (2020). Feyerabend’s Alternative Theories within Goodman’s Worldmaking. Organon F, 27(3), pp. 302–324. https://doi.org/10.31577/orgf.2020.27302
© Nicole Fišerová
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