-
Introduction of Thomas Kuhn
Thomas Kuhn was borne on July 18, 1922 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,
His younger brother Roger was born three years later.
Kuhn's father , Samuel Louis Kuhn, was a Cincinnati-born industrial engineer and investment consultant. A graduate of Harvard and MIT, he had fought in World War 1.
Kuhn's mother, Minette Kuhn (née Strook), A graduate of Vassar College,
Both of his parents were active in left-wing politics and both were of Jewish descent. -
Kuhn in the in 1940's
In 1943 he received his Bachelors in physics at Harvard University. He continued his education and received his masters degree in 1946. Then in 1949 he obtained his PHD in the History of Science. -
Thomas Kuhn family
Kuhn married Kathryn Muhs in 1948. His wife, was a graduate of Vassar College. They had two daughters and a son , Sarah, Elizabeth, and Nathaniel. Kuhn and Kathryn divorced in 1978.
In 1981, at the age of 59, he married Jehane Barton Burns. -
Kuhn's first book
Kuhn's first book was "The Copernican Revolution" in 1957. "Kuhn argues that the Ptolemaic system provided broader appeal than a simple astronomical system but also became intertwined in broader philosophical and theological beliefs. Kuhn argues that this broader appeal made it more difficult for other systems to be proposed."( Westman) -
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions part 1
Kuhn's published his second book in 1962 "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions". He argues "that scientific research and thought are defined by “paradigms,” or conceptual world-views, that consist of formal theories, classic experiments, and trusted methods. Scientists typically accept a prevailing paradigm and try to extend its scope by refining theories, explaining puzzling data, and establishing more precise measures of standards and phenomena. "(Encyclopedia Britannica) -
Thomas Kuhn and paradigm shift
Kuhn first described the paradigm shift in his 1962 book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions". Kuhn believed that there was normal and extraordinary science. Normal science is where the scientific model of understanding is followed and is not challenged. When a scientist disproves the normal science in the paradigm, this starts the crisis point. -
Thomas Kuhn and paradigm shift part 2
When scientists try and find a new theory that can replace the normal science and this area is called the extraordinary phase. Kuhn called this the extraordinary science. Once scientists have come to a final agreement and a new set of scientific rules can be construed upon, this is the scientific revolution phase. Once the scientist start their experiments to further their understating this becomes the normal science again and the process start over again in the paradigm cycle. -
Kuhn's Paradigm video
Here is a short video explaining Kuhn's Paradigm, that will help you understand his model easier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tasVTgZc9Gw&t=59s -
Thomas Kuhn death
Thomas Kuhn died at the age 73, of cancer on June 17, 1996 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He had been suffering from throat and lung cancer for two years of his life.
