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Birth
Thomas Kuhn was born in Cincinnati, OH -
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Harvard College
Thomas Kuhn attended Harvard where he received his degree in physics in 1943. He also obtained his Masters of Science in 1946 and his PhD in physics in 1949. As a Junior Fellow he was able to switch from physics to the history and philosophy of science. He later received his doctorate in Physics in 1949 with a focus on quantum mechanics to solid state physics. -
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Years Teaching (Harvard College)
From 1949 through 1956 Kuhn taught science for undergraduates in the humanities. A course that's focus was historical case studies. This was his first real exposure to historical scientific texts where he became fascinated with the works of Aristotle. -
The Copernican Revolution
Kuhn published his first book, The Copernican Revolution. The book focused on the paradigm shift from the earth being in the center of the galaxy to its current place in the solar system and how there is still relevance in that theory today. -
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Kuhn's most profound contribution to the philosophy of science was his revolutionary book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. He broke down the development of scientific progression into four phases, Pre-Science, Normal Science, Model Revolution and Paradigm Shift. He first coined the phrase "paradigm shift." A classic example of one goes back to his first publication, where we believed the sun planets and everything in the universe revolved around the earth.
