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Subject:Re: Thomas Kuhn From:david wisz <davidwisz -at- HOTMAIL -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 8 Jan 1999 17:07:32 PST
Yes, I remember struggling with The Structure of Scientific Revolution
in college; it was no fun at the time, but I am glad to be familiar with
the reference whenever it comes up.
My lasting impression of Kuhn's point: Paradigm shifts happen slowly.
Paradigm shifts are historically the result of one man's life work. He
slaves over his research and experiments. His findings are wildly
contrary to his society's beliefs about the nature of reality. The
powers that be reject his findings. He dies. 100 years later, after
scientific studies have accumulated bits and pieces of "minor" flaws in
the dominant paradigm, scientists re-evaluate his work and find "proof"
that he was right. The scientists convince the (new) powers that be of
the "new" findings. At some point, in some way, the public's
understanding of reality is altered...society's paradigm evolves.
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