Thomas Samuel Kuhn (1922-1996)

Birth

Jul 18, 1922

Thomas Kuhn was born on July 18th, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His parents were Samuel and Minette Kuhn, and he had a younger brother, Roger. His father worked as an engineer and served in World War I and his mother came from a wealthy family and wrote unpaid articles. They moved to New York when Kuhn was a few months old. "Thomas Kuhn." Famous Scientists. famousscientists.org. 12 Jun. 2017. Web. 6/9/2024
<www.famousscientists.org/thomas-kuhn/>.

Harvard

1943

Kuhn earned his B.S. in Physics graduating from Harvard summa cum laude (with highest honor) in 1943. Kuhn returned to Harvard after the war and earned his master's in physics in 1946 and doctorate in 1949. "Thomas Kuhn." Famous Scientists. famousscientists.org. 12 Jun. 2017. Web. 6/9/2024
<www.famousscientists.org/thomas-kuhn/>.

The Copernican Revolution

Jan 1, 1957

In this work Kuhn identified an important aspect of revolution that was overlooked, plurality. He states that scientists are all impacted by philosophical and religious beliefs. The Copernican Revolution was the beginning of Kuhn's career shift into philosophy and history. Marcum, James A. “Thomas S. Kuhn (1922—1996).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, iep.utm.edu/kuhn-ts/.

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Jan 1, 1962

The most academically cited book written by Thomas Kuhn is The Structure if Scientific Revolutions. The approach of this work was new in the idea that science was influenced other forces outside of the specific scientific context to include social class, politics, gender and racial bias. One of the most important concepts to come out of this book is the Paradigm Shift, being the driving factor in the four phases of scientific discovery, Normal Science, Model Crisis, Revolution, Paradigm Change.

Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

1979

Kuhn was a member of multiple societies and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1979, the most prestigious society for U.S. scientists. Swerdlow, N. M. “Thomas S. Kuhn.” National Academy of Science, www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/kuhn-thomas.pdf.

Interview: The Road Since Structure

1995

Thomas Kuhn Speaking (1995)
The above link is an interview with Thomas Kahn where he talks about his famous book The Structure of Revolution and how it affected philosophy.

Death

Jun 17, 1996

Thomas Kuhn passed away at the age of 73 on June 17th, 1996, in Cambridge Massachusetts. His cause of death was cancer in the throat and bronchial tubes, that he fought for two years. Marcum, James A. “Thomas S. Kuhn (1922—1996).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, iep.utm.edu/kuhn-ts/.