Kuhn was a philosopher who developed the scientific method. His work was influenced by the work of Aristotle. It changed his life and career. Kuhn wrote many influential books and articles, including The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. He is still a very influential thinker in the scientific community.
Incommensurability
The idea of incommensurability first came to light in 1962, when Thomas Kuhn and Paul Feyerabend introduced it into philosophy of science. The term, which comes from mathematics, means that no two quantities are equivalent. It also means that there is no common unit of measurement between two variables. It is a principle that can be applied in many different contexts, including the study of problems and associated methods.
Kuhn’s incommensurable theory arose from his efforts to develop an empirically grounded theory of meaning and the possibility of historical understanding. His goal was to make sense of the incommensurability of the past and present in science. He also believed in a robust conception of the real world, the rationality of scientific change, and the progress of science.
World-changes
Thomas Kuhn’s theory of incommensurability challenged positivist conceptions of scientific progress, which assume that later science improves upon earlier science. In contrast, the realist response rejected anti-realism and anti-referentialism and instead treats theories as possible descriptions of the world.
Theory choice
Kuhn’s famous thesis of theory choice is subject to criticism. It fails to provide a final, objective ranking of theories, and it is ambiguous. Kuhn’s critics, such as David Stove, have argued that theory choice is irrational and relative.
Kuhn himself argued that there are several criteria for theory choice, including simplicity, scope, and coherence with existing theories. But these criteria may be interpreted differently by different theory proponents. Thus, Kuhn’s view may not be representative of the majority. In reality, it may be difficult to determine the ideal criteria for a theory.
Religion
Thomas Kuhn once compared a scientific paradigm change to a religious conversion. The purpose of the comparison was to underline how radical a change in theory can be. Kuhn also compared the concept of paradigm change to a “gestalt switch,” wherein one is converted to a different way of thinking. However, this parallel is less clear in the case of religion. The term “religion” is used more broadly, including many things other than religion.
Structure
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, written by Thomas Kuhn, has been widely acclaimed since its publication fifty years ago. Although published fifty years ago, the book is still relevant to the study of science and the evolution of human civilization. Kuhn’s work was hailed by many as a revolutionary work that revolutionized the field of science. But Kuhn himself was not sure of its reception. In fact, he was denied tenure at Harvard University just a few years prior to the publication of Structure. And after it was published, he was inundated with mail. This made him despondent and unable to finish his work.
Kuhn illustrates his ideas by using examples from history. For example, he shows how in the eighteenth century, scientists believed that water and alcohol were chemical compounds. However, the two substances did not separate spontaneously and would not separate completely on distillation. Instead, they form a combination called an azeotrope and are not identical.
Pre-science
Kuhn describes the pre-science period as the period prior to science. During this time, there was no consensus about what science and concepts really are. Theories that were accepted at the time were incompatible and incomplete. A new paradigm emerges once the pre-science phase ends.
Kuhn’s education was influenced by the progressive philosophy of his liberal parents. He began schooling in 1927 at the progressive Lincoln School in Manhattan. While in his early years, his teachers were pacifists, and they taught a pacifist philosophy. However, when World War II broke out, he was horrified by the atrocities and became a strong interventionist. After the war, many of his classmates at Harvard supported Conant’s efforts to militarize the school. Kuhn and Conant eventually met and talked with each other.
The concept of paradigms was important for Kuhn in his new image of science. The paradigm is the set of beliefs or procedures that a community has come to accept as its foundation. This concept is not a simple set of rules or algorithms, and Kuhn claims that it is impossible to explain a new discovery with an existing paradigm. It involves complex processes and a close interplay of theories and facts.
Galileo
Thomas Kuhn popularised the idea of paradigm shift. A paradigm shift occurs when the way people think about scientific phenomena changes from what it was in the past. Galileo, for instance, challenged the Aristotelian system of physics, believing that the laws of motion were different in the heavens and that the sun revolved around the earth. However, Galileo’s experiments proved that the Aristotelian system was not true.
Theory-fact fit
Thomas Kuhn is a major force in the history and philosophy of science. Although he did not establish a distinctive school, his theories brought about a revolution in science. His historical philosophy of science flourished in the 1960s and 1970s. This chapter discusses the fundamental lines of his position, as well as his subtle interpretations.
Kuhn’s main concern is the incommensurability of fact and theory. He emphasizes the conservative attitude of a scientist, which differs from the heroic element of the standard picture. This attitude is the opposite of Popper’s, who portrays the scientist as always trying to disprove theories.
Theories of measurement
Theories of measurement are the foundations for measuring science and its processes. Measurements are a fundamental part of scientific research and serve two important functions: to test theories and confirm their validity. However, Kuhn argues that the conventional model of measurement is misleading, as it does not allow for the exploration of unanticipated variables.
Kuhn was born in Cincinnati in 1922 and studied physics at Harvard. However, his career took a turn when he was swept up in the war effort to work on radar. After returning to college, he earned his PhD in physics at Harvard. He was later elected to Harvard’s Society of Fellows, and was commissioned to teach science to humanities students. While he remained an eminent professor, his first book was a’sketch’, which he later referred to as a “doorstop’.
Theories of measurement by Main Kuhn offers an alternative view of how science works. It challenges the prevailing view that scientists can only explain reality by analyzing data and formulating theories. Kuhn’s logical analysis of knowledge is a far more nuanced approach to describing the nature of science.
