20140718 thomaskuhn

Thomas Samuel Kuhn (July 18, 1922- June 17, 1996)

  • 1957

    1957

    Kuhn developed his first book known as the Copernican Revolution during the Renaissance era. In this book he studied the development of the heliocentric theory of the solar system.
  • 1962

    1962

    Kuhns well known landmark second book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was one of his most influential works of history and philosophy that was written in the 20th century. In this book he argues that scientific research and thought are defined by “paradigms” which consist of formal theories, classic experiments, and trusted methods. (Gregersen, E.)
  • 1968-1970

    President of the History of Science Society.
  • 1977

    Recipient of the Howard T. Behram Award for distinguished achievement in humanities.
  • 1982

    1982

    Society awarded Kuhn with the highest honor being the Sarton Medal.
  • 1983

    Kuhn was appointed Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy at M.I.T. His way of thinking turned into more of a linguistic way of thinking which reflected his new environment which had a major impact on his subsequent work especially on incommensurability thesis. (Marcum, J. A.)
  • Informational Video

  • Summary of Thomas Kuhn

    Summary of Thomas Kuhn

    Overall, Kuhn’s second book revolutionized the history and philosophy in science. With his concept of the paradigm shifts Kuhn believed science doesn’t evolve gradually towards truth. It remains constant before going through a paradigm shift when current theories can’t explain some phenomenon, and someone proposes a new theory. (McLeod, S. 2020) Paradigm shifts are also used in other areas of disciplines such as political science, economics, sociology, and in business management. (Gregersen, E.)
  • References

    Gregersen, E. Thomas S. Kuhn American philosopher and historian. https://www.britannica.com/science/science Marcum, J. A. Thomas S. Kuhn. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://iep.utm.edu/kuhn-ts/ McLeod, S. (2020). Thomas Kuhn- Science as a Paradigm. https://www.simplypsychology.org/Kuhn-Paradigm.html Moraes, F. (2014, July 18). Misunderstanding Thomas Kuhn. https://franklycurious.com/wp/2014/07/18/misunderstanding-thomas-kuhn/