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The Copernican Revolution
In 1957, Thomas Kuhn published his first book, “The Copernican Revolution”, in which he analyzed the development of Copernicus’ Heliocentric theory of the solar system. This theory states that the Earth and all other planets revolve around the sun which is at the center of our solar system. In addition to this, Kuhn also detailed the problems with the Ptolemaic system and Copernicus’ solution to them. -
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
In 1962, Kuhn published his second book, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”, in which he argues that the evolution of the scientific theory is not a linear process but rather a process driven by paradigms and shifts within it. According to Kuhn, a paradigm shift is a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions and consists of four main stages: normal science, extraordinary research, adoption of a new paradigm, and aftermath of the scientific revolution. -
Incommensurability
In addition to paradigm shifts, Kuhn also introduced his concept of incommensurability in his book, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”. This concept states that different theories or paradigms can be difficult to compare in an unbiased way because the standards of measurement vary too much between them. With this understanding, scientists have been able to use Kuhn’s concept of incommensurability to develop new paradigms. -
Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity
In 1978, Kuhn wrote his fourth book, “Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity”, in which he surveys the development of quantum mechanics and argues Planck’s conclusions. According to Kuhn, the technique used by Planck to distribute the energy within a cavity will work for any way of dividing cells so long as the cells used are within a certain size. -
Sources
Godfrey-Smith, Peter. “Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science” Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Bird, Alexander. “Thomas Kuhn.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 31 Oct. 2018, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/thomas-kuhn/.
