Kuhn and paradigm shifts
This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method
For everyone
Kuhn argued that science does not progress by linear accumulation. In periods of "normal science" scientists work within an accepted framework (paradigm); when unexplained anomalies accumulate a crisis arises and a "scientific revolution" leads to a new paradigm. He cited the Copernican and Einsteinian revolutions as examples.
For specialists
For Kuhn successive paradigms are "incommensurable": their concepts and problems do not translate one-to-one, so the choice between them cannot be made by logical rules alone. Critics argued this makes science relativist and irrational. In later writings Kuhn stressed shared values such as accuracy, consistency, scope, simplicity and fruitfulness guiding theory choice.
Claims
- Science advances through periods of normal science and paradigm shifts; the choice between paradigms cannot be reduced entirely to logical rules.[1]
Positions
- Kuhn's critics
- The incommensurability thesis is exaggerated; different theories can be compared by common observations and evidence.[2]
Connections
Parent
Philosophy of scienceArgues against
Sources
- Book (1962). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. University of Chicago Press
- EncyclopediaThomas Kuhn. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophyplato.stanford.eduarchive
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Cite this page
Athena contributors. (2026). Kuhn and paradigm shifts. Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/kuhn/
@misc{athena_kuhn,
title = {Kuhn and paradigm shifts},
author = {{Athena contributors}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/kuhn/}},
note = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 28, 2026 · Page history