Phi 272
Fall 2013
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Phi 272 F13
Reading guide for Fri. and Mon. 10/25, 28: Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, §IX (92-101, 101-110)

Assignment for Fri. 10/25

Section IX

What are Kuhn’s reasons for calling a change in paradigm a revolution (pp. 92-94)?

Why does discovery require a non-cumulative change of paradigm (pp. 94-97 [95-97])?

Why is the same true for the invention of theory—and what are the (3) possible relations between the phenomena the new theory might concern and the old paradigm (pp. 97-98)?

What objection to his view does he see foresee being made on the basis of the positivists’ conception of scientific theories (98-100)?

What conflict does he see between this view and the function of paradigms (pp. 100-101)?

Assignment for Mon. 10/28

What logical gap does he see in the positivists’ argument (pp. 101-103)?

In what respects, both cognitive and normative, is work under a new paradigm different from (indeed “incommensurable” with) what has gone on before (pp. 103-110)? (Kuhn’s general discussion on p. 103 and pp. 108-110 sandwiches a discussion of examples on pp. 104-107.)