I was fascinated by Paul’s “Against Method”

14 September 2021

Indeed, I was fascinated by Paul’s “Against Method” and had the courage of writing to him a paper letter, inviting him to consider coming to the very young University of Kassel, where I served as “Founding President”. The University was a somewhat boring mixture between the 1968 leftist rebellion and the conventional down to earth education of engineers, economists, social workers and school teachers. I felt we needed rebellious people who wouldn’t be Marxist dogmatists. Paul Feyerabend was a hero for me anyway, and to my big surprise he accepted my invite. I had also invited Ivan Illich, another type of a rebel, and Erich Jantsch, an eccentric Austrian systems analyst and co-founder of the Club of Rome. And a number of less prominent innovators. Well we had a good time with Paul. From time to time I was able to listen to his excellent lectures. But I can’t remember important details. I would be only too happy to help get the tapes transcribed and printed. I think they contain very valuable contents.    note: the transcripts of the lectures are now available from this centennial website under the voice menu 'audiovisuals'] 

[... !]  I did not know that Paul admired my father. He never mentioned it to me – according to my memory. But I can imagine why. My father was a first class physicist but was also critical of the reductionist mentality of scientists.