Thomas Kuhn: Scientific Revolutions, Paradigms, and Scientific Progress

In this session, we’ll explore Thomas Kuhn’s influential account of scientific progress and scientific revolutions. Kuhn argued that science does not develop simply by accumulating knowledge, but through periods of “normal science,” in which scientists work within an established paradigm, interrupted by crises that can lead to revolutionary changes. But what happens when a paradigm can no longer adequately explain the evidence? And how can we decide between competing paradigms if they rely on different assumptions and standards?

Together, we’ll examine how paradigms shape scientific observation and interpretation, why anomalies can trigger scientific revolutions, and what Kuhn’s ideas about incommensurability mean for scientific objectivity, rationality, and progress.

Please read either the reading below or any other source that you prefer about this topic.

📄 Readings (Optional)

1. https://www.rep.routledge.com/dms/Kuhn.pdf

Looking forward to seeing you!