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Thomas Kuhn is Born
Thomas Kuhn was born July 18th, 1922 in Cincinnati, Ohio into a wealthy family. Kuhn’s father a World War One veteran attended Harvard and MIT before becoming an industrial engineer and investment consultant. Kuhn’s mother came from a wealthy family and graduated from Vassar College. Thomas Kuhn attended a private school but at age seven transferred to another school because Kuhn was still unable to read. -
Thomas Kuhn Young Adult Life
Thomas Kuhn developed a passion for mathematics and science in high school. Young Kuhn hoped to join the American Student Union but faced cognitive dissonance due to the association being anti-war. Thomas would move around through different schools before eventually graduating, a straight-A student from Taft School in Watertown, CT. Kuhn was accepted into Harvard and planned to major in Physics. -
Thomas Kuhn Assists in the War Effort
Kuhn graduated summa cum laude ( highest honor) with a BS in Physics. To assist in the war effort Kuhn worked in the Radio Research Laboratory, developing radar countermeasures. Kuhn would be sent to France to study captured German radar installations. After the war, Kuhn returned to Harvard to attain his Ph.D. in Physics. -
Thomas Kuhn Begins Developing Paradigm Shift Theory
Kuhn’s epiphany moment came in 1947 when discussing theories of motion developed by Aristotle in 350 BC and Isaac Newton in 1600 AD. Kuhn observed that even though both physicists were discussing the same topic, one scientist would not be able to understand the work of the other. Kuhn would slowly develop his ideas over the twenty years before publishing his theories in his 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. This publication would be his crowning moment and most known achievement -
1 Thomas Kuhn Contribution to Philosophy of Science
Thomas Kuhn’s main contribution would be his introduction of the concept of Paradigm Shifts. Before Kuhn’s introduction of Paradigm Shifts scientists believed that the advancement of science was a linear progression; the gradual accumulation of knowledge leads to what we have now. Kuhn believes that scientific discovery is not linear, but caused by revolutions in science, with time periods being classified as normal science or extraordinary/revolutionary science. -
2 Thomas Kuhn Contribution to Philosophy of Science
Normal science being the time when scientists were guided by preexisting knowledge and a widely accepted view. Extraordinary or Revolutionary science is the time period in which a Paradigm shift is occurring. a Paradigm Shift is a change in the basic fundamentals, theories, concepts, and experimental practices of a scientific discipline. -
4 Thomas Kuhn Contribution to Philosophy of Science
Normal Science is based around the development of the Paradigm. There is no exploration or testing. This is only the time for determining the foundation of the Paradigm. I think of it as the time when scientists theorize all the possibilities of their Paradigm.
Model Drift is when further testing and development takes place. When an issue arises, it is assessed, and the model adapts. Scientists not associated with the Paradigm will see this new information as controversial. -
5 Thomas Kuhn Contribution to Philosophy of Science
Paradigm to maintain their allegiance to their old ways. This causes a rift in the specific scientific community.
The final stage, known as Paradigm Change, is when the new Paradigm is finally accepted. It is taken as fact and begins to be taught in formal education. Kuhn stated that “a new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die.” -
3 Thomas Kuhn Contribution to Philosophy of Science
Delving deeper into this concept, Kuhn determined that there are five distinct stages: Pre-Science, Normal Science, Model Drift, Model Revolution, and Paradigm Change.
Pre-Science acts as the background to the Paradigm. This is when minimal changes begin to occur. This stage is a form of limbo, where there is an uncertainty of the mission ahead. -
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Citations
“Thomas Kuhn.” Famous Scientists, 12 June 2017, www.famousscientists.org/thomas-kuhn/.
“Kuhn's Paradigm 4 Mins.” YouTube, YouTube, 3 Dec. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tasVTgZc9Gw.
