A2 Thomas Kuhn & Scientific Paradigms

Thomas Kuhn & Scientific Paradigms

Thomas Kuhn

b.1922- d.1996 American Physicist Wrote extensively on

history of science Radically different

view of what makes science unique.

Major Contribution: concept of 'Paradigm Shifts'

Heavily influenced Sociology

Overview of Kuhn's Major Contributions

Science undergoes periodic "paradigm shifts" instead of progressing in a linear and continuous way.

These paradigm shifts open up new approaches to understanding that scientists would never have considered valid before.

Scientists can never divorce their subjective perspective from their work; so our understanding of science can never rely on full "objectivity" - we must account for subjective perspectives as well.

What is a Paradigm?

It is a basic framework of assumptions, principles, methods and techniques governing a scientific community and their science.

What is a Paradigm Shift?

Kuhn argued that science does not progress by a linear method of gathering of new knowledge, but undergoes periodic revolutions, also called paradigm shifts in which the nature of scientific inquiry within a particular field is suddenly transformed.

Kuhn's View of Paradigm Shifts & Science

Science cannot exist without a shared paradigm and until there is a shared consensus on a single paradigm there will only ever be rival schools of thought in the sciences.

Having said this, most of the time the paradigm goes unchallenged and scientist do what Kuhn calls Normal Science...

Normal Science

In Normal Science, scientists work to solve puzzles.

This puzzle solving is governed by the scientists paradigm which not only defines the question, but to a large extent the answer as well.

Scientist restrict or 'tie their own hands' through their shared norms of the paradigm leaving them to 'fill in the blanks' or work out the nearest solution.

Complex Jigsaw Puzzle We know from the pic on

the box what the solution should be-- our job is to figure out how the pieces fit together to get the right result.

As Kuhn says “Everything but the details are known in advance. The Challenge is not to uncover the unknown but to obtain the known”

Kuhn's View of Normal Science's Advantages

Great advantage of the paradigm is that it allows scientists to agree on the basics of their subject and get on with productive 'puzzle solving' work.

Gives them the chance to look at their field with exacting detail, thereby enlarging their picture of the natural world.

This contrasts DRASTICALLY with Popper's view of science.

Popper Vs. Kuhn

Popper sees falsification as the unique feature of science.

Kuhn sees puzzle solving within a paradigm as the unique feature of science.

Activity!

3 Teams Investigation Group A: Prepare

a brief presentation on Kuhn’s 'Scientific Revolution' pg 266.

Group B: Prepare a brief presentation on Kuhn’s 'Implications for Society' pg. 267

• Use the book as a guide, but look for information elsewhere too.

• Brief means about 5 minutes, with everyone in the group contributing.

• Sugar paper visual required.

• Need Help? See me!

3 Teams Investigation• Group C: Prepare a brief presentation on Popper.

*You can break up the topics using the headings in your books.*Decide in advance who will cover each sub-section.

• Use the book as a guide, but look for information elsewhere too.

• Brief means about 5 minutes, with everyone in the group contributing.

• Sugar paper visual required.• Need Help? See me!