HIST 1250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Paradigm Shift, Normal Science
23 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Natural phenomena exist which we wish to study. Natural scienists invesigate these natural phenomena and develop theories that make predicions and can be tested against the reality which they atempt to describe, classify and explain. Philosophers of science invesigate the logical structure of scieniic theories and the historical dynamics of their development, modiicaions, and replacement. Kuhn wanted to understand two things: why scieniic theories were accepted, why they were replaced. Anomalies arrive when the puzzle can"t be solved. The crisis introduces new methods and approaches since older ones are incapable. Once the new approach works, a paradigm shit occurs and there is a scieniic revoluion. Scienists can"t translate between old and new paradigms and need the assistance of a philosopher or historian. There is no scieniic truth; only successful problem solving within a paradigm.
