I usually do not take part in discussions about Paul\u2019s work, not even in this year of his centennial anniversary, because I have little to say professionally about the topic.\u00a0\u00a0My relationship with Paul was personal,\u00a0and I am very biased about him. But I am now pleased to offer a reflection about the connection between Paul\u2019s work and the aims of the Foundation established to his name.<\/p>\n
The Foundation is not dedicated to history or philosophy of science\u00a0but to support concrete initiatives and exemplary work that improve the lives of unprivileged communities.\u00a0Would Paul be happy about this goal? Considering this question today, thirty years after his \u2018departure from the planet\u2019, I am reminded of how he stressed that\u00a0abstract thinking and ideas are capable of diminishing and even suffocating the \u2018abundance of life\u2019 around us, how he recommended staying close to the experience, knowledge and needs of real people. Rather than dispensing arrogant descriptions of \u2018reality\u2019 he preferred\u00a0telling stories, describing complexities,\u00a0asking questions, revealing the unexpected\u00a0humor<\/em> in the details.\u00a0He was sincerely\u00a0kind with\u00a0the individuals\u00a0he knew.\u00a0 When asked, he would provide practical help to make their lives a bit more satisfactory\u00a0or less difficult.\u00a0But he never bestowed \u2018solutions\u2019.\u00a0 Would the idea of a humanitarian foundation displease him?<\/p>\n In the occasion of Paul\u2019s centennial anniversary, I realized that two themes<\/strong>\u00a0from <\/strong>his<\/strong> work<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>appear particularly relevant for the Foundation dedicated to his name. \u00a0The first theme <\/strong>is the one of the \u2018abundance of life\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0that surrounds us, which many tend to reduce to one or the other, more-or-less\u00a0drab, sense of \u2018reality\u2019.\u00a0To counteract this \u2018reduction of abundance\u2019 Paul suggested\u00a0embracing\u00a0pluralism <\/strong>and<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>diversity<\/strong>.\u00a0 He promoted a \u2018proliferation\u2019 of <\/strong>methods, <\/strong>ideas, theories, points of view<\/strong> and<\/strong> traditions<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>and favored relations of\u00a0<\/strong>mutual <\/strong>curiosity, respect and dialogue.\u00a0 <\/strong>A simplistic consequence that I draw\u00a0from this is that\u2013\u2014 whatever we believe to be real<\/em> and important in life\u2014 be it the laws of physics;\u00a0being \u2018God\u2019s chosen people\u2019; amassing personal wealth;\u00a0or relating\u00a0with one other in ways that are peaceful and mutually enriching\u2014 that is not the only one<\/em>\u00a0possible, valid\u00a0and \u2018true<\/em>\u2019 understanding.\u00a0If we accept that there are many <\/strong>and diverse beliefs<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>about <\/strong>what <\/strong>is <\/strong>real and <\/strong>relevant<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>in the world<\/strong>, <\/strong>that those sustain many and diverse<\/strong>\u00a0ways of <\/strong>living<\/strong>, and that those\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>make sense<\/strong>, <\/strong>and make<\/strong> life satisfactory <\/strong>for different people<\/strong>\u2026 we may feel\u00a0at first quite unsettled. Ultimately, however, we may perceive a sense of liberation and openness.<\/p>\n Yes, all that exists\u2014 which Paul called \u2018Being\u2019\u2014 does not equally<\/em> respond to and sustain all<\/em> beliefs, interpretations, narratives and ways of living\u2026\u00a0but \u2018Being\u2019 <\/strong>does<\/strong><\/em> sustain and respond to <\/strong>many<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>approaches, rather than one<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>only<\/strong>.<\/strong>\u00a0We all know people who have weird ideas (i.e., ideas that are \u2018very different from ours\u2019), behave strangely, and live in a world \u2018of their own\u2019. Yet, they manage to go on with their lives. Personally,\u00a0I have met\u00a0poor and illiterate\u00a0individuals who were more effective at what they did,\u00a0and kinder to others,\u00a0than highly educated individuals with prestigious jobs and salaries.\u00a0I am inclined to say that\u00a0these peoples live in different \u2018worlds\u2019\u2026 but could anyone say that one is more real or more important than the other?\u00a0 More fundamentally, reading Paul\u2019s work I started considering that different approaches to \u2018Being\u2019<\/strong>\u2014 for instance diverse scientific approaches <\/strong>or diverse narratives and worldviews\u2014 do affect \u2018Being\u2019 itself, and certainly affect <\/strong>our<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>lives.<\/strong>\u00a0Diverse approaches can be more or less useful in reaching\u00a0 the goals set by those who practice them or\u00a0articulate their narratives. But they also contribute to make\u00a0many of us,\u00a0at the receiving end,\u00a0miserable or satisfied, benevolent or criminal.<\/p>\n It seems to me that two consequences derive from these understandings.\u00a0First, if a diversity of approaches to \u2018Being\u2019 is possible and effective in sustaining livelihoods and lives, we should\u00a0ask ourselves why we should accept the views\u00a0of those who emphatically tell us they know \u2018the truth\u2019 (e.g., scientists, priests, politicians, or development experts\u2026).\u00a0It is certainly wise and appropriate to take their views into account, but it is also important to live in \u201ca world that is appropriate, relevant and meaningful for us<\/em>\u201d or\u2014 in Paul\u2019s words\u2014 \u201ca world that makes sense to us\u201d.<\/strong>\u00a0Further, this would not need to apply\u00a0only to\u00a0ourselves and our own worldviews. It seems to me that Paul encourages a sincere appreciation and<\/strong>\u00a0respect<\/strong>\u00a0for <\/strong>all<\/strong><\/em> ways of living <\/strong>that make life possible and sustainable for communities in a variety of circumstances.\u00a0This is nothing else than a sincere and non-condescending\u00a0appreciation of\u00a0diverse cultures and traditions, offering diverse ways of understanding \u2018reality\u2019, \u2018truth\u2019, \u2018nature\u2019, \u2018meaning\u2019,\u00a0\u2018wellbeing\u2019, \u2018progress\u2019, and\u00a0\u2018development\u2019.\u00a0[As first affirmed by Aim\u00e9 C\u00e9saire, the violent erasure of cultures integral to colonialism has enormously impoverished<\/em> the world. And that ongoing erasure is still\u00a0primary to our globalized society, including in deeply paradoxical\u00a0ways, from the military\u00a0imposition of Western democracies\u00a0to the cultural imposition of identity politics.]<\/p>\n Not all views and opinions count equally<\/em>\u00a0or have the same consequences.\u00a0Some, for instance, thrive on weapons and wars, misery and divisions, racism and theft, the destruction of nature and the misery of others.\u00a0Paul loved the Dada movement, which rebelled against the stupidity and callousness of the powers that provoked and maintained the First World War, causing millions of deaths and immense accompanying misery.\u00a0Very much in line\u00a0with the Dada movement, Paul\u00a0resented the pontification<\/strong> of those who try to convince and corral others in ways that are dogmatic<\/strong>, <\/strong>humorless<\/strong> and\u00a0inflexible<\/strong>.\u00a0But\u2026 if all views and ways of living are not equally appreciable, how can we distinguish between the views and actions that should be kept in check and those who merit support and flourishing?<\/p>\n This question offers an entry into the second theme<\/strong>\u00a0that I would like to highlight in Paul\u2019s work\u2014 which is only apparently in opposition to the first.\u00a0This is the understanding (in Paul\u2019s words) that \u201cevery culture is potentially all cultures\u201d and that diverse cultural manifestations are grounded in a \u2018<\/strong>shared<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>human nature\u2019 that links and connects us all<\/strong>. Paul discusses this in the context of relativism, to overcome the idea that \u2018cultures\u2019 are incommensurable systems, closed upon themselves and hardly able to interact and communicate.\u00a0For what concerns me, however, that understanding resonates with my feelings of empathy<\/strong> towards others, what some refer to as \u2018compassion\u2019, or\u00a0\u2018feeling together with<\/em> others who are suffering\u2019.<\/p>\n If we remove the myriad of our individual preferences, frameworks, and understandings of the world, what inescapably remains\u00a0is our \u2018shared human nature\u2019.\u00a0We may have different hierarchies of values and\u00a0different interpretations of\u00a0personal behaviors and political events, but we all know what it means to be hungry, sick and cold, or to feel relaxed breathing fresh air in a quiet natural environment.\u00a0Of course, we do not have a way to compare such feelings and say they are exactly \u201cthe same\u201d for all of us, but we may assume they are at least similar<\/em>.\u00a0In other words, we may assume some closeness among us fellow humans as\u00a0we all have a body, we all were born, we all grew up, we all grow old, we all suffer, we all have some sense of pleasure, we all hurt, we all heal, and we will all die. Within the vast confines of our\u00a0personal freedom and differences, we\u00a0may recognize a basic oneness<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>among us all<\/strong>, and a feeling\u2014\u00a0not a rational thought but a feeling\u2014that it is good to ease the lives of others, to be\u00a0compassionate towards them, to be \u2018with\u2019 and not against them.\u00a0In fact, for the most fortunate among us, this sense of oneness may even extend to the world of animals, plants, life in general, the entire universe.<\/p>\n This oneness with other humans, possibly even with nature in general, can be the cornerstone of a sense of morality<\/strong>. <\/strong> As I perceive it, it encourages us all to feel and be with others and, in essence,\u00a0to respect life in humans and in the rest of nature.\u00a0This hardly constitutes a discovery, as the principle is common to many religions, and even to secular mores\u2026 but it\u00a0certainly opens up an avenue for comfort and peace of mind.\u00a0It also opens up an avenue for consequent \u2018proper\u2019 political behavior, as the interests and worldview\u00a0of a specific group or culture should not be allowed to impede and crush the\u00a0livelihoods of others and the\u00a0worldviews \u201cthat make sense for them\u201d.\u00a0The concept of \u2018self-determination\u2019 is the one that most concisely summarizes this understanding.\u00a0Noticeably, self-determination is fully enshrined in the UN Charter and the International Court of Justice\u2026\u00a0although regularly disattended and neglected in practice.<\/p>\n The two themes I have mentioned\u2014 the abundance of life and the understanding that \u201cevery culture is potentially all cultures\u201d\u2014 are dealt with\u00a0by Paul in Farewell to Reason<\/em> and Conquest of Abundance. <\/em>Possibly, however, the easiest way to approach them is from his Autobiography<\/em>, which recounts how these themes emerged in his life relatively late, as a by-product of having relat<\/em>ed<\/em>\u00a0with others\u2014 and clearly not<\/em>\u00a0because of abstract reasoning, rational\u00a0arguments or\u00a0trying to follow principles and ideas.\u00a0He recounts how, for him, developing something close to a \u2018moral character\u2019 <\/strong>and an\u00a0<\/strong>ethos<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>was a byproduct of feeling close to other human beings, <\/strong>through\u00a0personal connections<\/strong>, <\/strong>acceptance<\/strong>, companionship<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>and love<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Based on the\u00a0<\/strong>two themes and the attitude just mentioned, I\u00a0<\/strong>do <\/strong>hope that the <\/strong>Paul <\/strong>K. <\/strong>Feyerabend Foundation<\/strong> is in line with Paul’s <\/strong>ethos<\/strong><\/em>. The Foundation was formally established under Swiss law in 2006.\u00a0The co-founders were a group of colleagues and friends who remain good friends and colleagues many years later (not a small feat!) and are still on the Board.\u00a0The establishment came after a gestation of years, as we tried different ways to help people less materially fortunate than us, but not less able to run their lives and gain their livelihoods in difficult circumstances.\u00a0One of the most inspiring co-founders, most unfortunately, is no longer with us, but some younger colleagues did join\u00a0later.\u00a0From the beginning, we chose to deal with communities rather than individuals<\/strong> because we believed that communities are stronger in facing<\/strong> the power structures that maintain injustice<\/strong> in the world.\u00a0And we rejected the idea of charity<\/strong>\u2014 which\u00a0may be providing \u2018help\u2019\u00a0without any commitment to fundamental change in the giver or receiver alike. We tried, instead, to embrace solidarity<\/strong>\u2014 engaging the foundation with its beneficiaries to understand together,\u00a0and\u00a0try to eliminate, the causes of problems and injustice.<\/p>\n For eighteen years, the Feyerabend Foundation has done its best to assist unprivileged communities<\/strong> to figure out for themselves what they need and want and what they can do\u2014\u00a0<\/strong>via internal<\/strong> solidarity<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>and in solidarity with others<\/strong>\u2014 to fight injustice, promote their own wellbeing and maintain cultural and biological diversity. The inspiring concepts\u00a0for the Foundation are thus\u00a0community<\/strong>, solidarity<\/strong>,\u00a0diversity<\/strong> (e.g., cultural, biological),\u00a0and justice<\/strong>.\u00a0All of them can be seen in line with the two \u2018themes\u2019 I mentioned above.\u00a0On the one hand, the Foundation supports the diversity and abundance that makes life worth living<\/strong>\u2014 by promoting self-determination in diverse landscapes, cultures, languages\u00a0and worldviews. On the one other, it nourishes\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018solidarity\u2019 and \u2018justice\u2019, by strengthening the\u00a0sense of <\/strong>a <\/strong>\u2018single human nature\u2019 that links and connects us all<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Being against the grain of the mainstream\u2014\u00a0about \u2018scientific method\u2019 or the normalized attitudes of selfishness, political conformism and the acceptance of militarism\u2014\u00a0is another way for the ethos<\/em> of the foundation to connect to the work of Paul.\u00a0Personally, I like to recall his profound loathing of arrogance, racism and violence\u2014\u00a0from gratuitous personal aggrandizement to the state sponsored apartheid and genocidal behavior unfortunately rampant today.\u00a0I recall his desire to stay close to the experience\u00a0and needs of people, possibly contributing something positive, however small, but always in line with their own wishes and perspectives. I recall his sincere appreciation of what everyone can offer\u2014\u00a0each of us from a diverse perspective and experience of life. He often conveyed\u00a0the feeling, with his behavior more than with words, that being\u00a0free is fundamental to wellbeing. Yet,\u00a0he also admired the Paul Robesons of this world, people dedicated to political and human solidarity, ready to play and create beauty but also to work hard for the sake of justice,\u00a0for the wellbeing\u00a0of\u00a0all.<\/p>\n It is in resonance with all of the above that I find my own motivations to engage time, energy and resources to keep alive the Feyerabend Foundation, and I know that others in the Board of the Foundation have similar feelings.\u00a0 At the time of writing, nothing is more urgent than\u00a0unmask<\/strong><\/em>ing <\/strong><\/em>the pernicious <\/strong><\/em>racism and <\/strong><\/em>militarization of our societies <\/strong><\/em>aided and abetted by those politicians and media that keep conning us all, pursuing their own, particular interests at the expense of the interests and wellbeing of most others. Paul\u2019s appreciation of history and abundance of life, his capacity to think \u2018outside of the box\u2019 and his gentle call to perceive our shared humanity are\u2014 it seems to me\u2014 needed today more than ever.<\/p>\n Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend, September 2024<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I usually do not take part in discussions about Paul\u2019s work, not even in this year of his centennial anniversary, because I have little to say professionally about the topic.\u00a0\u00a0My relationship with Paul was personal,\u00a0and I am very biased about…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2974"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2974"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3043,"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2974\/revisions\/3043"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pkfeyerabend.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}