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Early Life
Thomas Kuhn was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and his father was an engineer. Growing up he attended Progressive schools that encouraged free thinking rather than memorization of materials. In 1943 he graduated college from Harvard with a bachelor's in physics. He continued his education to a master's degree and shortly after decided he wanted to make a degree change switching to philosophy and history of science. -
"The Copernican Revolution"
"The Copernican Revolution" was Thomas Kuhn's first book written to explain his studies of the Pre-Ptolemaic to the Heliocentric model of our solar system. With references to prior astronomers, he gives details on the flaws and successes of their work that lead the path for today's model of the solar system.
This is not his "best work" but it is his first published book which helped open the door to his next book which is by far is most famous. -
"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions"
Kuhn's second book, he goes into detail of how science progresses in a much different way than previously thought. His view was more of that science is a slow rollercoaster rather than a fast upward grade to a paradigm shift. Kuhn explained that there were more steps to a paradigm shift changing the three step process to a five step.
1.) Pre/Normal Science
2.) Model Drift
3.) Model Crisis
4.) Model Revolution
5.) Paradigm Change
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L70T4pQv7P8&t=186s -
Death, Criticism, Awards
Kuhn faced a lot of critism for his work. Many people disagreed with his viewpoints and uncommon thoughts. His beliefs gained popularity due to the controversy which onled gained him more publicity. His work became popular far past philosophy and began to be seen in other class subjects for reading material.
Awards:
American Academy of Arts and Science 1963
American Philosophical Society 1974
National Academy of Sciences 1979
George Sarton Medal in 1982 Thomas Kuhn Paradigm Shift Award