PHIL 202: THOMAS KUHN (1922-1996)

By Kevin Kopsie
  • Birth of Thomas Kuhn

    Birth of Thomas Kuhn

    Thomas Samuel Kuhn was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Minette Kuhn was his mother, she came from New York and she was a Freelance Editor and patron of Arts. Kuhn's father was a Industrial Engineer and an Investment Consultant.
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    Kuhn's School Years

    Thomas Kuhn enjoyed his time in Lincoln School private school, which he went to from Kindergarten to fifth grade. Early on in his education he was taught to be an independent thinker. His dad a Harvard graduate was frustrated because by the age of 7, Kuhn still could not read or write. Kuhn's dad taught him how to read. By the age of 14 Kuhn had a passion for mathematics. Once Kuhn graduated High School, he was accepted into Harvard.
  • Kuhn's Hardvard Time

    Kuhn's Hardvard Time

    Thomas Kuhn in his time at Harvard, he struggled with Physics and scored a C on his first exam. The professor recommended that he continue to study and do practice problems and in doing so he was able to score an A on his final Exam.
  • Kuhn Harvard Graduate

    Kuhn Harvard Graduate

    Thomas Kuhn was in his Sophomore year when the United States decided to join World War II. In the Summer of 1943, Kuhn graduated with a Bachelors in Physics with Summa Cum Laude (Highest Honor). After he graduated, he joined the Radio Research Laboratory Theoretical group at Harvard.
  • Kuhn completes his PhD

    Kuhn completes his PhD

    Thomas Kuhn finished his Master's Degree in Physics at Harvard in 1946, he continued to strive to get his doctorates by 1949. He went on to publish his thesis on The Cohesive Energy of Monovalent Metals as a Function of the Atomic Quantum Defects. By him publishing this he became elected to the Society of Fellows at Harvard.
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    Kuhn's Time at Harvard

    Kuhn taught History and Philosophy of Science from 1951 to 1956 at Harvard University.
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    Kuhn teaches at Berkeley

    After his time at Harvard, Kuhn went out to California and taught at Berkeley from 1956 to 1964. At Berkeley, he was offered to be an assistant professor in History and Philosophy.
  • Professor Kuhn

    Professor Kuhn

    Thomas Kuhn becomes a full professor at Berkeley for History of Science.
  • The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

    The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

    Kuhn published his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions in the year 1962 and it helped restructure the framework of science.
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    Kuhn's Time at Princeton University teaching

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    Kuhn's Time at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

  • Thomas Kuhn's Death

    Thomas Kuhn's Death

    On June 17, 1996, Thomas Kuhn passed away at the age of 73 from his battle with cancer. He passed away at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

  • Citations

    Gattei, S. (2016). Thomas Kuhn's 'Linguistic Turn' and the Legacy of Logical Empiricism: Incommensurability, Rationality and the Search for Truth. Routledge.
    Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Thomas S. Kuhn.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 14 July 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-S-Kuhn#ref168963.

  • Citations

    Peter Godfrey-Smith. Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. University of Chicago Press, 2003.
    EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=nlebk&AN=324622&site=ehost-live&scope=site. “Thomas Kuhn” www.myclassroom.edu.