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Birth of Thomas Samuel Kuhn
Born in Cincinnati Ohio on July 18, 1922. Thomas Kuhn's work was instrumental in advancing the concepts, theories, frameworks, data, and how science is conducted most notably through paradigm shifts. His work developed over time into phases "Pre-science, Normal Science, Model Crisis, Scientific revolutions" and had a huge impact during the Renaissance period, to this day his work is used and studied. -
Career
Thomas Kuhn had an extensive educational background having graduated from Harvard summa cum luade in 1943. He obtained his master's in physics in 1946. As World War 2 raged on, he spent the following years doing radar research. Following that he obtained his doctorate in 1949. He was a professor of science at Harvard, University of California and Princeton University. -
Published "The Copernican Revolution"
In this book he argued Copernicus Theory of a Heliocentric solar model of our planets which opposed the Ptolemaic system. He also questioned how science was conducted, and the effects that paradigms have. This was an important book because he impacted the fundamental framework of science, this was an early introduction to paradigm shifts and his concept transcended multiple disciplines besides science. This book questioned and challenged the standards of how science is conducted. -
Thomas Kuhn view on revolution and paradigms
He published " The Essential Tension" in 1977, and "Black-body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity" in 1894. He viewed revolutions as "non-cumulative" there isn't any particular path or pattern that it follows, and different paradigms in the same field are "incommensurable" which by definition means that you cannot compare them. His work disproved traditional and empirical myths on science. -
Publication of "The Structure of Scientific revolution"
This was one of Kuhn's most famous and one of the most influential books of the time. The book was about habits, data, methods, theories, thoughts, actions, myths, frameworks, patterns. Mentioned in "Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of science" it was a way of doing science". It was an extensive dive into paradigm shifts.
Then & Now. Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific
Revolution. Youtube. May 27, 2020 -
Death of Thomas Kuhn
At the age of 73, Thomas Kuhn unfortunately dead of lung cancer. His career and work helped change and shape the way we understand philosophy and science. The impact can be seen by the amount of change science has undergone. What was before the "way of doing science" has changed. He was also working on his second philosophical monolog at the time of his death.