-
Birth
Thomas Samuel Kuhn was born on July 18, 1922 in Cincinnati, Ohio. -
Earned Bachelors Degree
Thomas attended Harvard University and earned his Bachelor's degree in Physics in 1943. -
Earned Masters Degree
After earning his Bachelors, Thomas continued to study at Harvard and earned his Masters degree in Physics in 1946. -
Earned Ph.D.
Thomas extended his stay at Harvard and earned his Ph.D. in the History of Science in 1949. -
Period: to
Research and Paradigm Shifts
Thomas's first job at Harvard had him researching many things, in order to better teach the course "Philosophy of Science." These years of research would also contribute largely to his published books in later years. -
Period: to
Teaching
After his own formal education came to an end, Thomas turned to teaching. He first taught the history (or philosophy) of science, at Harvard from 1951–56. He moved on to University of California at Berkeley (1956–64), Princeton University (1964–79), and finally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1979–91). -
The Copernican Revolution
In 1957, Thomas published his first book titled "The Copernican Revolution" after he studied the heliocentric theory of the solar system during the renaissance. -
"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" is published
In 1962, Thomas published what would later become his second book, titled "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions". He controversially theorized that science would likely continue down two paths: normal and revolutionary (also called extraordinary) science. Normal science is essentially business-as-usual and operates under Paradigms. When there is a paradigm shift, that is when the extraordinary or revolutionary science comes in. -
Death
Thomas S. Kuhn died in Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 17, 1996. -
Brief YouTube Video
I found this video very informative and helpful! YouTube. (2020, May 27). Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. YouTube. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L70T4pQv7P8 -
Sources
Bird, A. (2018, October 31). Thomas Kuhn. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/thomas-kuhn/#ConcPara YouTube. (2020, May 27). Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. YouTube. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L70T4pQv7P8