Abstract Thomas S. Kuhn's structural account on the production of scientific knowledge constructs a generalized picture of the process by which a science is born and undergoes change and development. This paper explains that for Kuhn, science is a social system. It looks at how Kuhn analyzes the structure of scientific revolutions using several key concepts. He uses the term paradigm for an archetypal experiment or problem solution that implicitly tells scientists how to look at the world. This paper discusses how Kuhn's thesis about scientific authority utilizes the notion of normal science which he defines as science that uses a past achievement as a model and guide for formulating and solving new problems about the world which are based on paradigms. In addition, scientific revolutions occur when one paradigm is replaced by another. The writer also explains that as a result, paradigms play an important role in both normal science and scientific revolutions.
From the Paper "The production of scientific knowledge undergoes six main steps. The first is a pre-paradigm stage in which the natural phenomena that later form the subject matter of a mature science are studied and explained from widely differing points of view. Next comes the emergence of a paradigm, embodied in the published works of one or more recognized scientists, defining and exemplifying the concepts and methods of research appropriate to the study of a certain class of natural phenomena, and serving as an inspiration to further research by its promise of success in explaining those phenomena. The third stage in the development of scientific knowledge is a period of normal science in which theories are explored and scientific puzzles are solved. A critical stage is the discovery of natural phenomena that violate the expectations governed by paradigms. In this stage, new theories are designed to explain these anomalous facts and then an abrupt transition to a new paradigm takes place in which a new conceptual and methodological framework arises which replaces the old. The final stage in the structure of scientific knowledge is the continuation of normal science within the new paradigm. This continues until the whole process repeats itself."
Abstract This paper examines and reviews five Internet sites that deal with Thomas S. Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions as paradigm shifts.
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine a representative example of Internet sites that deal in some detail with Thomas S. Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions as paradigm shifts. The plan of the research will be to set forth the fundamental principles of Kuhn's theory and then to identify Internet sites that critique it with a view toward establishing a sense of how well regarded Kuhn's views are in the current period. "
Abstract St. Thomas Aquinas contributed a great deal to the entirety of Christian Theology both during and after his life; particularly in his writings. St. Thomas, as he is referred to in short, was an astute Biblical scholar who was as devoted to the faith in human reason as he was in God. St. Thomas' tome, Summa Theological, is, literally, the summation of his understanding of theology. In this work Aquinas single-handedly justified and 'proved' the whole of the spiritual nature, the soul, God, and a Christian life. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the contributions of St. Thomas Aquinas to Christian theology and his impact upon Christianity itself.
Abstract This is a study on the use of Gospels of Thomas in a time where, if the gospels of Luke, John, Mark and Mathew were newly circulating at the same time, how the choice for Thomas' Gospel will be made. The argument presented will tell how the Gospel of Thomas was a better way than the Old Testament in bringing the message of God the common people. With the advent of Thomas as the 'twin' of Jesus and the creation of this gospel was a good change for the Church and is supported here.
Abstract This paper examines Dylan Thomas and his poetry by analyzing his work through spiritual glasses. It describes the influences of spirituality versus religion. It studies his work "18 Poems" which he wrote in 1934 and how it brought him immediate recognition. It excerpts his poems and analyzes them. It concludes that Dylan Thomas was a very spiritual person influenced mostly by Christian, Jewish and Catholic images.
From the Paper "Every poet is, in a sense, two people: the poet and the persona, or presence, that speaks through the poetry. With Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) both poet and persona tend to scintillate into the sublime and the ridiculous. With the aid of what Thomas called Comrade Bottle, they could unleash themselves into the depths of the subterranean and the grotesquely morbid. Some of Thomas? early verses were unintelligible, so in love with words was he; and critics have often disagreed on valid interpretations of Thomas? work (Ferris, 2000, p.95). As well, the disagreements carry over to valid interpretations of the poet's life. How much of his drunken, often tactless prattle was for the sake of the song, and how much was the poet's gift"and torture"of seeing so much and feeling so deeply that it was all he could do to fend off madness? In a 1933 South Wales Evening Post essay, he wrote: "the borderline of insanity is more difficult to trace than the majority of people, comparatively safe within the barriers of their own common-sensibility, can realise" (Bedford-St. Martin?s, N.D. 2). "
Abstract The paper analyzes Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas and his actions in twelve years as the only African American in the court, concentrating on the topic of affirmative action. The paper highlights Thomas' conservative bent.
From the Paper "Justice Clarence Thomas is the only black member of the United States Supreme Court. Thomas is one of the most conservative Justices in the current court. Based on a recent vote, it appears Justice Thomas is an opponent of affirmative action programs. In a case that was decided in June, Judge Thomas disagreed with the majority of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold a University of Michigan Law School program that seeks to boost minority enrollment through an affirmative action type program."
Tags: Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court, affirmative action, discrimination, University of Michigan, voting records, conservative, black, minority, admissions
Abstract This paper offers a personal opinion on the importance of Thomas Paine's revolutionary document in American history. The author discusses the main ideals and themes in Paine's work, "Common Sense". The paper compares the "Declaration of Independence" and "Common Sense" and states reasons why it is Thomas Paine's work that Americans should idealize and remember.
From the Paper "Thomas shed new light to the matter and made it a point to emphasize that America can and will survive on it own without any British intervention. He simply made a point that America does not need Great Britain and went on to say that "America would have flourished as much, probably much more, had no European Power had anything to do with her" (Thomas Paine). In "Common Sense", Thomas Paine portrays the British to be greedy for power and control and he clarifies that Britain's intervention is not for the benefit of the American people but rather because she wants control and would've done the same to Turkey for the same motive "viz., the sake of trade and dominion" (Thomas Paine)."
Tags: America, Declaration, Independence, Thomas, Jefferson, history
Abstract Sir Thomas Malory lived an interesting life as an extortionist, rapist, etc. He wrote "Le Morte d'Arthur" while spending his time in prison from which he escaped. This paper recognizes the correlation between his writing and his lifestyle.
From the Paper "It is no accident that Sir Thomas Malory wrote about the life he lived. As a noble knight and landowner, he was more than fascinated with his own lifestyle. Overwhelmed by the events that occurred in his own era, Malory was not shy of trouble, and/or bravery. The story of King Arthur, Le Morte d"Arthur, was inspired from the very moments that unified his life. He grew up in a time period of castles, knights, feudalism and chivalry, which in turn makes for a brilliant tale of valiance and romance, all of which are included in the story. It is from this vast sea of expeditions and events in which Malory encountered and explored, that he conceived his story Le Morte d"Arthur."
Tags: arthur, king, knights, malory, morte, round, table, thomas
Examines the life of Sir/Saint Thomas More and analyzes the influences on his life, including an examination of the concept of Utopia, his relationship with King Henry VIII, his eventual death, and his martyrdom.
Abstract Thomas More is a figure greatly revered both by historians and the religious world. This paper examines these things in light of his contributions to Christianity and the development of the Catholic Church during its most volatile period. It affirms More's convictions as "the king's good servant, but God's first".
From the Paper "History will remember Sir Thomas More as many things. He was a major renaissance figure and author and a successful businessman, diplomat and royal secretary. He was a close friend of King Henry VIII and a valued and trusted advisor. He was devoutly religious and fiercely loyal to the Catholic Church, at a time when the church was under great scrutiny. He was also a family man, with four children of his own and several, which he adopted. He was a man in transition, part modern, part medieval. In fact, much of his life was characterized by these conflicts. Most importantly, however, Thomas More was a Christian, martyred in 1535 and canonized Saint Thomas More by Pope Pius in 1935, more than 40 years later. He has been placed in the same boat as the great passive revolutionaries, like Jesus and Gandhi. At the unveiling of a statue dedicated to More, placed on the banks of the Thames in London, in 1969, the Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury said: "He believed that the Christian Church is a divine society wider than states and nations, and that duty to king yields place to duty to God." This belief in the church and God characterized More's life and motivated all his actions. However the time in which he lived and its humanistic tradition also influenced More to some degree and his career and works demonstrate how that influenced changed over time, as he deserts humanism to fully defend his church latter in life."
Tags: christianity, henry, reformation, religon, spirituality, thomas, viii
Abstract This paper describes the influence of photography on the portraits, landscapes, and pastorals created by American Realist artist Thomas Eakins. The paper describes the specific influences of photography on Eakins and photography as a source of his inspiration.
From the Paper "According to art critic and biographer Sylvan Schendler has suggested that with respect to the work of American Realist artist Thomas Eakins photography was an important source of .."
Abstract This paper analyzes Thomas Hobbes's "Leviathan" and examines its meaning, the influences of other writers on Hobbes and its effect on modern thinking. The paper also contends that Hobbes was a radical philosophical revolutionary.
From the Paper "Leviathan: My analysis of Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan" began with a study of the authorship of the book. The copyright page listed Thomas Hobbes as the author and gave his birth and death dates as and respectively. The page stated that the book contained selected variants from the Latin edition of Thomas Hobbes. It appears to be an authentic edition of the book with Hobbes as the author. Hobbes's audience for Leviathan is a matter of some controversy."
Abstract This paper examines the impact of Saint Thomas Aquinas on modern society and points out how it is important to note that his articulation of his natural law doctrine has been very influential for more than seven centuries. The paper explains that this influence has extended beyond philosophy and religion, because Aquinas conceived of natural law within a much larger context of human actions and their place in the order of creation.
From the Paper "As Braybrooke (2003) notes, Aquinas' conception of natural law has had a major impact on human society, primarily because his natural law doctrine "articulates a 'philosophical' ethics within a 'theological' understanding of God and the universe without compromising the integrity of either the philosophical or the theological enterprises.""
Abstract This paper examines the pitfalls in Thomas More's "Utopia." The paper is written from the perspective of the modern reader, who can critique More's society based on what is considered acceptable in our times. The paper's author argues against several issues in More's work, one being slavery and the other being the lack of free choice. The paper gives various examples of what the author considers to show the impracticality and lack of fairness can easily be gleaned from More's work.
From the Paper "In Thomas More's Utopia it is clear that the main sense of the work revolves around fairness, especially in the organization of the people of the country of Utopia. In More's country all the people are equal, according to the laws, language, location of cities and their responsibilities for the maintenance of the whole. Each individual was expected to be a part of the industry associated with maintaining the city where they lived, to the degree that each individual was responsible for moving to the agricultural area and working the land for a period of time, to be replaced by others from the city in a rotation similar to elected representatives and senators."
Abstract This paper reviews ThomasKuhn's book about scientific advances entitled "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." The paper focuses on several key elements and definitions in the work, with an emphasis on the concept of the scientific paradigm. The reviewer then discusses the role of paradigms in scientific revolutions, citing Kuhn's theory that revolutions appear when an old paradigm is substituted by a new one. Finally, the paper presents Kuhn's view of the past, present, evolution and future of science. The reviewer further describes Kuhn's view of the importance of crises in facilitating the evolution of science. The review concludes that Kuhn 's theory of paradigm and paradigm shifts gives a revolutionary description of scientific progress.
Outline:
ThomasKuhn's Concept of Paradigm
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
The Past, Present, Evolution and Future of Science
Reference List
From the Paper " First of all, Kuhn (1996) introduces the notion of "normal science", that is, according to him, the science that bases its research on previous research which is recognized as valid by a scientific community. (p.10) It is the structure of normal science that the book proposes to investigate. Furthermore, Kuhn (1996) argues that the most salient aspect of scientific evolution in time is the fact that science does not progress through leaps or through unrelated sets of investigations. On the contrary, scientific research is always conducted under a paradigm, or, to put it differently, all research is based on previous scientific data. The scientific paradigm can be defined as a certain common pattern in scientific research, or a certain set of accepted world views that are held as true for a period of time. The paradigm is thus a set of common beliefs about the world, based on past research. "
Abstract This paper examines how ThomasKuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" is certainly the most influential book in terms of the way modern philosophy of science is conducted. It discusses how Kuhn's theory of the process of scientific revolutions stems from his belief that scientific progress is not made in some tidy rational way, but, in fact, proceeds in a way that is based on all sorts of nonrational systems. In comparison, it looks at how Michael Oakeshott's "Experience and its Modes" doesn?t discuss the history of scientific revolutions, per se, and there are a great number of resonances between Oakeshott's and Kuhn's respective projects. It shows how Oakeshott's work is generally more holistic in its overall reach as it attempts to discuss the limits and nature of human epistemology on a grand scale and how his work is relevant to Kuhn's because he does consider science as one of these modes of epistemology.
From the Paper "Thus, the radical argument here in Kuhn's idea is that science is not a rational process of gradual adding to already known information as theorists often claim. Rather, it is a turbulent dynamic system, in which ways of knowing are constantly shifting in dynamic ways that attack the basic epistemology of science. Anyone who doubts that basic epistemological issues are at the heart of many scientific debates rather than just accumulating new knowledge would do well to look at Quantum Mechanic for example, which, unlike most of the rest of science, claims that you cannot necessarily predict the outcome of a specific event, only the probability of a specific outcome."
