Kuhn: Paradigms and Normal Science

PHIL 160 "Kuhn: Paradigms and Normal Science"

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Overview of Kuhn’s model of science
Kuhn’s description of the first mode:
normal science
What is a paradigm?
What role does a paradigm play in normal science?
PHIL 160

Assumption: Science makes steady progress Accretion (as in narrow inductivist view): body of knowledge like a snowball rolling down a hill. Popperian view: eliminate ever more false hypotheses. Either way, assumes scientists are always engaged in the same kind of activity. PHIL 160

Kuhn: two distinct modes of science. Normal Science Periods of Scientific Revolution Need to understand how these modes differ from each other and how they are connected to each other. What processes move scientists from normal science to a revolution? PHIL 160

Key concept: Paradigms Narrow sense : a particular achievement which suggests a way to investigate the world (e.g., an experiment, a formula, etc.) Broad sense : a package of ideas and methods which make up a world view and a way of doing science PHIL 160

Key concept: Paradigms Paradigms are vital because they provide the framework (shared set of assumptions) for normal science. PHIL 160

PHIL 160 NORMAL SCIENCE CRISIS REVOLUTION

PHIL 160 NORMAL SCIENCE CRISIS REVOLUTION (Guided by a shared paradigm)

PHIL 160 NORMAL SCIENCE CRISIS REVOLUTION (Shift from old paradigm to new paradigm) (Guided by a shared paradigm)

NORMAL SCIENCE CRISIS REVOLUTION New period of Normal Science (Shift from old paradigm to new paradigm) (Guided by a shared paradigm) PHIL 160

THEORY PHIL 160

THEORY • What kind of stuff is in the world PHIL 160

THEORY • What kind of stuff is in the world • How that stuff evolves over time and interacts PHIL 160

THEORY PARADIGM • What kind of stuff is in the world • How that stuff evolves over time and interacts PHIL 160

THEORY PARADIGM • Ideas about stuff • What kind of stuff is in the world • How that stuff evolves over time and interacts PHIL 160

THEORY PARADIGM • Ideas about stuff • What kind of stuff is in the world • Ideas about behaviors • How that stuff evolves over time and interacts PHIL 160

THEORY PARADIGM • Methodology • Ideas about stuff • What kind of stuff is in the world • Ideas about behaviors • How that stuff evolves over time and interacts PHIL 160

THEORY PARADIGM • Methodology • Interesting questions • Ideas about stuff • What kind of stuff is in the world • Ideas about behaviors • How that stuff evolves over time and interacts PHIL 160

THEORY PARADIGM • Methodology • Interesting questions • What counts as a good explanation • Ideas about stuff • What kind of stuff is in the world • Ideas about behaviors • How that stuff evolves over time and interacts PHIL 160

In “Pre-Paradigm” period:
No agreement about fundamentals
End up debating fundamentals rather than figuring out how to explain, predict, control phenomena of interest
Reads like philosophy (which Kuhn says is a bad thing if you’re trying to do science)!
PHIL 160

With a shared paradigm, can do science:
No more debate about fundamentals
Energy focused on using tools from the paradigm to describe, model, or create new phenomena
“ Puzzle-solving”
PHIL 160

Example: Presocratic theories of matter
All is fire
All is water
All is air
Only atoms and empty space (Democritus)
Infinitely many stuffs (Anaxagoras)
Four-element system (Empedocles)
Lots of choices, lots of debate.
PHIL 160

PHIL 160 The Four Elements HOT WET COLD DRY FIRE AIR WATER EARTH

PHIL 160 AIR WATER HEAT (cold, wet) (hot, wet) HOT WET COLD DRY FIRE AIR WATER EARTH

PHIL 160 (high proportion of water) METALS Easier to change shape (like water) HOT WET COLD DRY FIRE AIR WATER EARTH

PHIL 160 Easier to change shape (like water) (high proportion of water) METALS STONES (high proportion of earth) More likely to crumble than change shape (like earth) HOT WET COLD DRY FIRE AIR WATER EARTH

Shared paradigm informs:
Which phenomena can be explained
Which phenomena can be controlled
Which data are important
What does a good explanation look like.
What counts as a puzzle
What counts as a good solution
PHIL 160

Important feature of puzzles:
There should be a solution!
Big puzzle for Four-element theory: how to transform lead into gold?
PHIL 160

PHIL 160 NORMAL SCIENCE Shared PARADIGM

Puzzle-solving PHIL 160 NORMAL SCIENCE Shared PARADIGM

Resistant Puzzles PHIL 160 Puzzle-solving Solved puzzles NORMAL SCIENCE Shared PARADIGM

Resistant Puzzles PHIL 160 Puzzle-solving Solved puzzles ANOMALIES NORMAL SCIENCE Shared PARADIGM

PHIL 160 Puzzle-solving Solved puzzles CRISIS (Is there a problem with the paradigm?) ANOMALIES Resistant Puzzles NORMAL SCIENCE Shared PARADIGM

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Overview of Kuhn’s model of science
Kuhn’s description of the first mode:
normal science
What is a paradigm?
What role does a paradigm play in normal science?
Difference between puzzles and problems?
PHIL 160

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Kuhn: Paradigms and Normal Science

by Janet Stemwedel

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