Science & methodology
90 sourcesRay Peat was deeply concerned with the methodology and philosophy of science, and much of his work was as much about how we know things as about what we know. He was critical of the reductionist, mechanistic approach that dominates modern biology, arguing that it fragments organisms into parts and misses emergent properties. He advocated for an organismic, holistic approach influenced by thinkers like Alfred North Whitehead, Carl Rogers, and the Gestalt tradition.
Peat frequently criticized the way statistical methods, peer review, and funding structures shape scientific conclusions. He argued that many widely accepted medical beliefs rest on flawed studies, selective citation, and institutional inertia rather than solid evidence. He encouraged people to read primary sources critically rather than accepting consensus summaries, and he modeled this approach in his own extensively referenced articles and newsletters.
Key Positions
- Criticized reductionist, mechanistic biology for missing emergent properties
- Advocated for organismic, holistic scientific methodology
- Influenced by Whitehead, Rogers, and Gestalt traditions
- Argued that funding structures and peer review distort scientific consensus
- Encouraged critical reading of primary sources over consensus summaries
- Saw statistical methodology as often misapplied in medical research
- His own articles modeled extensive primary source engagement
Sources
90 items-
Ask the Herb Doctor: Serotonin, Endotoxins, Stress
Ray Peat interview/radio show on Fri Jun 17 2011 from Ask the Herb Doctor -
EastWest Healing: Glycemia, Starch and Sugar in context
Ray Peat interview/radio show on Wed Apr 27 2011 from EastWest Healing -
EastWest Healing: Estrogen vs Progesterone
Ray Peat interview/radio show on Tue Mar 15 2011 from EastWest Healing -
EastWest Healing: The Thyroid
Ray Peat interview/radio show on Tue Feb 22 2011 from EastWest Healing -
EastWest Healing: Inflammation
Ray Peat interview/radio show on Tue Jan 18 2011 from EastWest Healing -
EastWest Healing: The Science Behind The Dangers of Polyunsaturated Fats
Ray Peat interview/radio show on Thu Nov 18 2010 from EastWest Healing -
Biology of Carbon Dioxide — Bud Weiss
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peptides coherent adaption and some terminal diseases the roles of thyroid progesterone calcium salt—issues of energy and inflammation
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Politics & Science: Thyroid and Regeneration
Ray Peat interview/radio show on Thu Sep 11 2008 from Politics & Science -
Politics & Science: Empiricism vs Dogmatic Modeling
Ray Peat interview/radio show on Thu Jul 24 2008 from Politics & Science -
can art instruct science william blake as biological visionary
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Politics & Science: On The Origin of Life
Ray Peat interview/radio show on Sun Jan 02 2000 from Politics & Science -
Academic authoritarians, language, metaphor, animals, and science
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Adaptive substance, creative regeneration: Mainstream science, repression, and creativity
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An Interview With Dr. Raymond Peat: Organizing the Panic - by Karen Mcc et Wayde Curran, Eti Csiga and Tyler Derosier
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Cancer: Disorder and Energy
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Cascara, energy, cancer and the FDA's laxative abuse
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Cataracts: water, energy, light, and aging
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Comparison of Progesterone and Estrogen
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Eclampsia in the Real Organism: A Paradigm of General Distress Applicable in Infants, Adults, Etc.
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Energy, structure, and carbon dioxide: A realistic view of the organism
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Estrogen, memory and heredity: Imprinting and the stress response
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Estrogen, progesterone, and cancer: Conflicts of interest in regulation and product promotion
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Fatigue, aging, and recuperation
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Gelatin, stress, longevity