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Lifespan Dates
Thomas Kuhn's birth and death dates. -
Harvard Education
Kuhn earned his BSc in physics from Harvard College in 1943. Following this achievement, the academic went on to obtain his MSc and PhD in physics in 1946 and 1949. While at Harvard he theorized that until there is a considerable transference, in which scientists are motivated to discover and embrace novel ways of thinking, they anticipate to see what they expect. In saying this, Kuhn actually disclosed that many scientists and their suppositions, appeared to be innately biased, to some extent. -
The Copernican Revolution
Kuhn Publishes The Copernican Revolution: Planetary Astronomy in the Development of Western Thought (1957). -
The Function of Measurement in Modern Physical Science
Kuhn publishes The Function of Measurement in Modern Physical Science (1961). -
The Function of Dogma in Scientific Research
Kuhn publishes The Function of Dogma in Scientific Research (1961). -
Publishes The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962)
In 1962, Kuhn published a new approach, titled The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Markedly, his most significant postulation was that science can be swayed by elements related to politics, gender, social class, racial bias, and other variables outside of the clear cut scientific mold (Bird, 2000). By harnessing the tools of sociology, Kuhn demonstrated how science is often bound to culture and historical relevances. In doing this, the intellectual thinker coined the term “paradigm shift.” -
Coins the Term "Paradigm Shift"
In other words, a paradigm change is a phenomenon where a new way of thinking modifies the old, renowned ways. Understanding Paradigm Shifts -
Coins the Term, "Normal Science"
The big impact of Kuhn's contributions can be calculated in the alterations it brought about in the vocabulary of the philosophy of science. Kuhn coins the term, "Normal science." This language refers to the relatively routine, day to day work that scientists conduct when working within a paradigm. Correspondingly, the term, "scientific revolutions" would follow. -
Post-empiricist Era
Kuhn's work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962), challenges logical empiricism, and becomes a symbol for its own revolution. Markedly, this publishing initiated a transition that moved the arena of the philosophy of science into a post empiricist era (Nickles, 2002). -
The Essential Tension
Kuhn Publishes The Essential Tension: Selected Studies in Scientific Tradition and Change (1977). -
Black-Body Theory and the quantum Discontinuity
Kuhn publishes Black-Body Theory and the quantum Discontinuity (1987). -
The Road Since Structure
Kuhn Publishes The Road Since Structure: Philosophical Essays (1970-1993). -
Works Cited
Bird. (2000). Thomas Kuhn. Acumen Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315710839 Nickles, Thomas. Thomas Kuhn. Cambridge University Press, 2002, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511613975.