Phi 272
Fall 2013
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Phi 272 F13
Reading guide for Wed. 10/16: Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, §VI (52-65)

Section VI

Why do you think Kuhn calls factual novelties “discoveries” and theoretic novelties “inventions” (pp. 52-53)?

Kuhn later says that the case of oxygen prompts the “impossible suggestion” that Priestley first discovered it and Lavoisier then invented it—what about the case suggests this description (pp. 53-56)? (The later comment is on p. 66.)

How is the discovery of X-rays like and, especially, how is it different from the discovery of oxygen (pp. 57-61)?

What is shown by the example of the Leyden jar (pp. 61-62)?

What features do the phenomena described by Bruner and Postman share with scientific discovery (pp. 62-64)?

Why does Kuhn think normal science is effective in producing novelty (pp. 64-65)?