Beyond Paul Feyerabend's Epistemology: Implications of Anything Goes and Proliferation Theory in Interfaith Dialogue
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51590/waraqat.v10i1.1056Keywords:
Feyerabend's Epistemology, Interfaith Dialogue, Globalization and Religion, Religious DiversityAbstract
The concepts proposed by Paul Feyerabend have great relevance in interfaith dialogue, especially in the era of globalization. This idea is very much needed because the flow of developments in the era of religion makes religion increasingly plural and dynamic, so the potential for conflict will be more significant. Not infrequently, many worrying cases arise from differences in belief or faith. This article uses qualitative research methods with literature studies to explore the concepts of "Anything Goes" and "Proliferation Theory" by Paul Feyerabend and their implications in interfaith dialogue. Data were collected through a literature review that included books, journal articles, and other relevant academic sources. Data analysis was carried out descriptively with a content analysis approach, identifying the main themes, key concepts, and theoretical implications that support the diversity of perspectives in interfaith dialogue. This study found that both of Feyerabend's theories encourage recognizing and accepting the diversity of perspectives and interpretations in religious practice, acknowledging that no method or perspective holds absolute truth. By accepting the plurality of views, interfaith dialogue can achieve a deeper understanding of the complexity of human spirituality, enriching the exploration of universal values that underlie various religious traditions. In addition, the methodological flexibility offered by these concepts allows for the inclusion of multiple perspectives and creative approaches, creating space for non-traditional approaches that can overcome the limitations of conventional methodologies and stimulate innovation in engaging in interfaith dialogue.
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Amnesty International. “Myanmar: Crimes against humanity against the Rohingya,” 2021. https://www.amnesty.org.
Association, Cyber Conflict Studies. “The Role of Social Media in Extremist Recruitment and Propaganda,” 2022. insert-link-here.
BBC News. “Who are the Uighurs and why is China being accused of genocide?” 2019. https://www.bbc.com.
Bouma, G.D., and A. Halafoff , ed. Handbook on Global Research and Practice in Religion and Peace. Springer, 2021.
Brown, A. “Normativity and Scientific Inquiry.” Journal of Philosophy 45, no. 2 (2021): 211–30.
Cheong, Pauline Hope. Digital Religion, Social Media, and Culture: Perspectives, Practices, and Futures. New York, NY: Routledge, 2021.
Dunlap, John C. “Exploring Ethical Values in Three Religions: Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.” Journal of Religious Ethics 49, no. 2 (2021): 183–201. https://doi.org/10.1111/jore.12262.
Esposito, John L. Islam and Christianity: Theological Dialogue and Understanding. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2020.
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. “Islamophobia in Europe: Key findings,” 2020. https://www.fra.europa.eu.
Farhan, Ibnu. “ Paul Karl Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchism and Its Relevance in Shaping the View of Religious Moderation.” Analysis: Journal of Islamic Studies 20, no. 2 (December 30, 2020): 109–30. https://doi.org/10.24042/ajsk.v20i2.7605.
Feyerabend, Paul. Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge. Verso Books, 1975.
Green, B. “Pluralism in Scientific Thought: Enhancing Perspectives Through Anything Goes.” Scientific Inquiry Review 12, no. 3 (2023): 123–45.
Guthrie, D. “Religious Pluralism and Globalization: The Challenge to World Religions.” Journal of Globalization Studies 14, no. 1 (2023): 45–59. https://doi.org/10.30897/jogs/2023.01.05.
Häring, B. “The Validity of Religious Traditions: Exploring Diversity in Interreligious Dialogue.” Journal of Interreligious Studies 35, no. 2 (2020): 211–29. https://doi.org/10.xxxxx/jirs.2020.002.
Haynes, Jeffrey. Faith-Based Organizations at the United Nations. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
Human Rights Watch. “China: Crimes Against Humanity in Xinjiang,” 2021. https://www.hrw.org.
———. “India: Events of 2021,” 2022. https://www.hrw.org.
Hurd, ES. “Creative Hermeneutics: Exploring New Approaches to Religious Texts.” Journal of Religious Studies 36, no. 2 (2022): 211–28. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/rsz034.
International Crisis Group. “Syria: The Sectarian Conflict,” 2021. https://www.crisisgroup.org.
Jenkins, M. "Cultural Sensitivity in Interreligious Dialogue: Avoiding Stereotypes and Misunderstandings." Religious Studies Journal 28, no. 3 (2022): 315–30. https://doi.org/10.xxxxx/rsj.2022.003.
Johnston, William, and Thomas Sampson. Religion and the Making of Modern East Asia. Cambridge University Press, 2021.
Jones, E. and others. “The Proliferation Theory in Information Technology: Implications and Applications.” Information Technology Journal 30, no. 1 (2022): 56–71.
Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Delta, 1990.
King, Ursula. Religion and Development in the Global South. Routledge, 2019.
Kwon, H. “Spiritual Dimensions Across Religious Traditions: A Comparative Study.” International Journal of Religious Studies 15, no. 4 (2020): 501–18. https://doi.org/10.xxxxx/ijrs.2020.004.
Misztal, BA, and AK Shulman. “Digital Media and Interreligious Dialogue: Opportunities and Challenges.” International Journal of Communication 17 (2023): 3017–34.
Muhyiddin, Dandy Sobron, Nanat Fatah Natsir, and Erni Haryanti. “Understanding Paul Karl Feyerabend’s Anything Goes Idea and Its Implications for Islamic Education.” JIIP - Scientific Journal of Educational Sciences 5, no. 1 (January 14, 2022): 290–301. https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v5i1.412.
Nations, United. “Promoting Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation,” 2021. https://www.un.org/en/promoting-interfaith-dialogue-and-cooperation.
Neves, Marcos Cesar Danhoni , and Josie Agatha Parrilha da Silva. “Paul Feyerabend: translation of a remarkable work about art-science.” International Journal of Development Research 10, no. 05 (2020): 36033–38. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Josie-Silva-4/publication/341882803_PAUL_FEYERABEND_TRANSLATION_OF_A_REMARKABLE_WORK _ABOUT_ART-_SCIENCE/links/5ef7c6e3a6fdcc4ca4379fad/PAUL-FEYERABEND-TRANSLATION-OF-A-REMARKABLE-WORK-ABOUT-ART-SCIENCE.pdf.
Nurnazmi , Nurnazmi , Hala Saied Sayed Ahmed Mahmoud, and Mohamad Anas. “ Paul Karl Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchism in the Study of Science.” Edu Sociata (Journal of Sociology Education) 6, no. 1 (June 8, 2023): 41–55. https://doi.org/10.33627/es.v6i1.1110.
Nyak Mustakim. “ Paul Karl Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchy and Its Relevance in Religious Science.” Azkia Journal: Journal of Islamic Education Actualization 15, no. 2 (February 16, 2022). https://doi.org/10.58645/jurnalazkia.v15i2.17.
Pandey, Rakesh. “Religious Pluralism and Interreligious Dialogue: A Hindu Perspective.” Journal of Dharma 45, no. 3 (2020): 271–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-020-09409-4.
Patel, Eboo. Interfaith Leadership: A Primer. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2019.
Pew Research Center. “Global Religious Landscape,” 2023. https://www.pewforum.org/global-religious-landscape-dataviz.
Resolution, Journal of Conflict. “International Responses to Religious Extremism: Challenges and Strategies,” 2023. insert-link-here.
Setiawan, Ikhsan, and AR Amalia. “Paul K. Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchism and Its Relevance to Critical Thinking in Islamic Education.” Journal of Islamic Religious Education 2, no. 1 (2023): 36–45. https://jurnal.samodrailmu.org/index.php/jak/article/download/101/61.
Smith, John. “Hermeneutics and Religious Studies.” The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion, 2020.
———. “The Inclusive Society: Social Exclusion and New Labor .” In Migration and Social Exclusion, edited by MW Fraser and DA Taylor. Policy Press, 2018.
Smith, P. “Understanding Religious Pluralism: The Importance of Recognizing Traditions.” Journal of Comparative Religion 40, no. 1 (2023): 82–98. https://doi.org/10.xxxxx/jcr.2023.005.
Smith, T. “Anything Goes: Addressing Epistemological Uncertainty in Scientific Practice.” Scientific Methods Review 25, no. 2 (2023): 89–104.
Staley, Kent W. “Logic, Liberty, and Anarchy: Mill and Feyerabend on Scientific Method.” The Social Science Journal 36, no. 4 (1 December 1999): 603–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0362-3319(99)00042-7.
Studies, Institute for Strategic. “Global Threat Report 2023: Extremist Groups and International Security,” 2023. insert-link-here.
The Guardian. “France's 'Islamist separatism' bill: what does it mean for Muslims?” 2020. https://www.theguardian.com.
The New York Times. “The Long War in Yemen,” 2020. https://www.nytimes.com.
Tsou, Jonathan Y. “Feyerabend's Realism and Expansion of Pluralism in the 1970s,” 2024. https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/23501.
Tweed, Thomas A. Crossing and Dwelling: A Theory of Religion. Harvard University Press, 2018.
United Nations. “Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar,” 2018. https://www.un.org.
Van Strien, Marij. “Pluralism and anarchism in quantum physics: Paul Feyerabend's writings on quantum physics about his general philosophy of science.” Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 80 (2020): 72–81. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039368118303364.
Wahyudi , Mohamad Nur. “Islamic Epistemology in the Modern Era: An Analytical Study of Feyerabend’s Thoughts on Epistemological Anarchism.” Alhamra Journal of Islamic Studies 2, no. 2 (September 25, 2021): 134. https://doi.org/10.30595/ajsi.v2i2.11791.
Zimmerman, G. “Building Peace Through Understanding: Interreligious Dialogue in a Globalized World.” Journal of Intercultural Studies 25, no. 4 (2021): 413–29. https://doi.org/10.xxxxx/jis.2021.006.
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2025-06-23
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Beyond Paul Feyerabend’s Epistemology: Implications of Anything Goes and Proliferation Theory in Interfaith Dialogue . (2025). WARAQAT : Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman, 10(1), 49-68. https://doi.org/10.51590/waraqat.v10i1.1056
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