Indeed, it barely appears that Kidd and Meyer are reviewing the same book or even the same author. Where Kidd emphasizes Feyerabend's background in physics, Mayer mentions theater. Kidd emphasizes F's depth of learning, Mayer his "Dadaism". Kidd makes the book seem cogent and worthwhile, while Mayer more or less can make neither head or tail of it. 

However, this is all explained by the editors' little "experiment." Presumably not to our great surprise, we learn that the average scientist is not in the least interested in considering his or her discipline with any critical distance, and in fact probably is unable to do so. That unfortunate situation has dogged SftP from the beginning and surely still does.

Best,
Michael

Sent from my iPad

On Oct 28, 2011, at 7:20 PM, Kamran Nayeri <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

I fins Axel Meyer's review lacking a serious appreciation of philosophy. Let's not forget, philosophy is where it all started (aside from religion).  Philosophy deals with question that science does not and it is the meta-theory for any science.  So, I am baffled by reviews of a book by a philosopher by those who belittle philosophy as such.  How could it be doing justice to a philosophical work? 

On Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 6:30 PM, Larry Romsted <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
And a good purpose it is too.  I just remember all the scientists working
happily on improving the science of war.  Strictly objectively, of course.

Larry

On 10/28/11 8:41 PM, "Charles Schwartz" <[log in to unmask]> wrote

>Thank you, Stuart, for that interesting reading.  I continue to be
>undecided about the precise role of philosophy re science; but it is
>certainly necessary to reject the notion of socio/political "neutrality"
>in science. That rejection has been, in many ways, the defining purpose
>of Science for the People.
>
>Charlie
>
>On 10/28/11 10:44 AM, Stuart Newman wrote:
>> On the Nature of Scientific Progress: Anarchistic Theory Says ³Anything
>> Goes²‹But I Don't Think So
>> Review of the new English translation of philosopher Paul Feyerabend's
>>The
>> Tyranny of Science by biologist Axel Meyer: http://tinyurl.com/3wml4yc
>>
>> Rethinking Feyerabend: The ³Worst Enemy of Science²?
>> by Ian James Kidd: http://tinyurl.com/3g4jpl7
>>