Naslov
Beyond or Towards Epistemological Anarchism – Invoking Feyerabend’s Dream or Awakening the Unknown Nightmare?

Autori
Žažar, Krešimir

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Skup
European Sociological Association 2021 conference: „Sociological Knowledges for Alternative Futures”

Mjesto i datum
Barcelona, Španjolska; online, 31.08.2021. - 03.09.2021

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
epistemological anarchism ; epistemological optimism ; epistemological pessimism

Sažetak
In his seminal book ‘Against Method’ (1975), Paul K. Feyerabend contested the privilege of modern science to monopolize the knowledge field, and advocated for ‘epistemological anarchism’ in which all types of knowledge would have equally relevant status. The main thesis of this paper is that nearly half a century later a sort of epistemological anarchism has indeed emerged. This point is anchored in the analysis of particular features of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, which is imbued with a proliferation of diverse scientific, pseudoscientific, astrologic, religious and other types of explanations, concerning the origins of the pandemic, strategies for coping with it, remedies, vaccination process etc. In a variety of approaches, science can barely be conceived as a homogenous entity, as disagreements, diametrically opposite standpoints and advice for pandemic mitigation strategies appear. While due to the inherently anti-dogmatic attributes of science nobody expects a consensus among scientists concerning these complex matters, salient incongruences in standpoints have severely undermined the confidence in science and even amplified the ‘epistemic cacophony’. At least 2 positions can be taken as to how to evaluate the depicted circumstances: 1) epistemological optimism according to which the overall human cognition would advance, if it were more open to non-scientific ideas ; 2) epistemological pessimism which suggests that dethroning science would represent a regression towards pre-modern ways of thinking with possible harmful social effects. Regardless of the preferred option, it is apparent that epistemology is becoming one of the most relevant discussion domains in societies of the 21st century.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

POVEZANOST RADA