-
Birth
Born in Cincinatti, Ohio -
BS in Physics
Earned his Bachelor's in Science for Physics from Harvard. -
MS in Physics
-
Period: to
Taught "History of Science" course
-
PhD in Physics
-
"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions"
Thomas Kuhn wrote and got published “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” which was arguably his most famous work. It was in this book that he determined that the scientific process does not follow a simply linear path but rather goes in and out of periods of “revolution”. These points in the scientific process is what was later deemed as “paradigm shifts”. He determined that science is broken into 3 stages; Prescience, normal science and the revolution. -
Interview with Niels Bohr
Thomas Kuhn had an interview with Niels Bohr which included a recording the day before Bohr's death. -
"Objectivity, Value Judgement and Theory Choice" (part 1)
It was in this essay that Kuhn defended his book by reiterating the five criteria that helps in theory choice:
1- Accurate
2- Consistent
3- Broad Scope
4- Simple
5- Fruitful -
"Objectivity, Value Judgement and Theory Choice" (part 2)
While these steps ultimately help guide down theory choice they do not mean that it will ultimately determine that the end result will be true. His argument was that even if two people select two different theories and apply the information listed above, they could still end up with wildly different results. The point was that when a person selects and idea their own personal reasons for choice does eventually influence things. This could mean that it allows for different paradigms to form. -
Period: to
Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy
At MIT -
Diagnosed with Lung Cancer
-
Death
