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The Scientific Revolution According to Thomas Kuhn, 1999.
The paper questions whether science moves forward in a cumulative and progressive manner, or if it moves forward in leaps and bounds?
1,440 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 3 sources, $ 47.95
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From the Paper
"Science can be broadly defined as the development of knowledge about the physical world. The history of science is the explanation of the development of this knowledge. Science is often viewed as cumulative and progressive by its nature. Such views, however, can have profound implications because not all scientists or theorists follow the cumulative view. Scientists use both deductive and inductive reasoning to hypothesize the possibility of a useful theory. They also seem to be able to decide or discover more easily which theories are false rather than which theories are true. While the proving or disproving of scientific theory plays a vital part in the growth of science and scientific inquiry, the way that the actual progress or creation and discovery of new ideas and paradigms of thought is at the center of scientific research. Does science move forward in a cumulative and progressive manner or does it move forward in leaps and bounds? "
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Kuhn s Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2002.
Provides an overview of Thomas Kuhn's approach to understanding scientific knowledge.
1,191 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 40.95
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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."
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The Philosophy of Scientific Revolutions, 2003.
This paper compares the philosophies of Thomas S. Kuhn, as presented in "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" and of Jacques Derrida, as presented in his essay entitled "Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences".
1,235 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 2 sources, APA, $ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, stressing the specific structure of scientific revolutions, Thomas S. Kuhn's structural account of the production of scientific knowledge constructs a generalized picture of the process by which a science is born and undergoes change and development. The author points out that Jacques Derrida's deconstructive viewpoint on structure complicates Kuhn's account of normal versus revolutionary science because Derrida opposes reason from the inside. The paper relates that Derrida's analysis of the construct of structure decenters Kuhn's notion of a paradigm in which Kuhn believes normal science takes place; that paradigm itself represents a fixed origin, which Derrida insists cannot exist independently.
From the Paper
"In order to fully understand how Derrida's deconstruction of discourse relates to Kuhn's structure of scientific revolutions, one must first analyze the process Kuhn exemplifies. For Kuhn, 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 science are studied and explained from widely differing points of view. Next comes the emergence of a paradigm that is published by recognized scientists and defines the concepts and methods of research appropriate to the study of those particular 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 new phenomena that violate the expectations of that particular paradigm."
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Thomas Kuhn, 2006.
A discussion of Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions.
1,380 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 6 sources, APA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper provides an analysis of Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions, a three-stage cyclical process of change in science that encompasses normal science, crisis and revolution. The paper both supports and critiques Kuhn's views, referring to a number of Web sites related to his theory.
From the Paper
"Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolution encompasses a repetitive and ongoing cyclical process that involves three stages: normal science, crisis and scientific revolution. It is during the stage of normal science that scientists..."
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"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", 2004.
An analysis of Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" and its influence on postmodern art.
2,918 words (approx. 11.7 pages), 13 sources, MLA, $ 86.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Thomas Kuhn's famous work, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," in an attempt to trace the connections between the theory of scientific paradigm creation and shift and the development of modern and postmodern thinking in the arts. This particularly refers to Kuhn's influence on post-structural philosophy and language theory. The paper traces some of these connections and indicates to what extent Kuhn's major work has been influential and connected to the modern artistic and linguistic movements. The paper contends that, in order to show the linkage clearly between Kuhn's theories and modern art, his work cannot be understood outside of the broader historical context in which it was written.
From the Paper
"What Kuhn hypothesized in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was that scientific thought and theory did not progress in a consecutive linear fashion. New concepts or theoretical paradigms came about in a non-sequential and sudden fashion and were not coterminous or even necessarily theoretically related to the previous scientific paradigm. The following is a very simplistic outline of his theory but it encompasses the central tenets and aspects that made his work so influential. Firstly, science had been based on presumptions of certainty and objective infallibility. The central concept that characterized classical science was that it was a normative and sequential progression of knowledge and understanding of reality."
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Thomas Kuhn and Michael Oakeshott, 2004.
A comparative analysis of philosophies of science of Thomas Kuhn and Michael Oakeshott.
1,063 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 37.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Thomas Kuhn?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."
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Thomas Kuhn, 2004.
Analyzes five Web sites' treatment of Thomas Kuhn's science history ideas.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 6 sources, APA, $ 47.95
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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. "
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"Paradigm Shift", 2002.
An analysis of the "paradigm shift" in the "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 1 source, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper will discuss the book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn and explain what he means by "paradigm shift" within the realm of interpretation of revolutions that occur in science-specifically- the Copernican Revolution. By examining how the relationships of the perceiver of the revolution helps to transform the revolution, we can see how this idea pertains to the way that ideas are influenced not only from the inventor or creator of the revolution itself, but in the efforts of others that support it.
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The Nature of Science, 2002.
Examines theories on the nature of science by Thomas Kuhn ("The Structure of Scientific Revolutions") and Karl R. Popper ("The Logic of Scientific Discovery").
1,025 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 3 sources, $ 39.95
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Abstract
In his book entitled "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions", Thomas Kuhn outlines how and why scientific revolutions occur. Karl R. Popper's book entitled "The Logic of Scientific Discovery" presents a methodological structure for scientific inquiry. In many ways, Kuhn selected Popper's proposed methodological structure as a foil for his arguments about the nature of science. But given careful consideration, it would appear their interpretations of science might not have been that far apart. This paper will critically discuss the previous assertion, while paying attention to possible differences and similarities.
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The Cumulative Nature of Science, 2006.
This paper focuses Thomas Kuhn's essay: "The Nature And Necessity of Scientific Revolutions" in which Kuhn contends that the majority of scientific knowledge is in fact not of a cumulative nature.
1,220 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
The writer of this paper ponders the question as to whether or not science is in fact cumulative. This paper analyzes Thomas Kuhn's essay: "The Nature And Necessity of Scientific Revolutions" which focuses on the cumulative nature of scientific knowledge as the central issue of consideration. This paper details Kuhn's two interpretations concerning what it means for science to be cumulative. The first definition contends that for science to be cumulative, old and new theories would out of necessity be compatible. In the second definition Kuhn proposes that were science to always move from some methodological lower to some higher type would result in a cumulative effect.
From the Paper
"Proving that science is cumulative does not in any way require one to also prove that old paradigms are compatible with their newer counterparts. What we need to show, rather, is that paradigms do in fact build upon one another. If this can be shown, the cumulative nature of science will in turn become apparent (hopefully). Given the acceptance of a paradigm, a number of other developments follow. Within the structure of normal science one attempts to utilize the given paradigm in order to advance science. By applying the paradigm, scientists attempt to develop further theories within its framework. From there these theories will eventually lead to either technological or social advances (depending on the science under consideration). In this pursuit of applying the paradigm, we eventually encounter anomalies which cannot be resolved within the given framework. Simply because these anomalies exist does not make it necessary to overthrow the current paradigm. Rather, these anomalies do not become a problem until a specific group of scientists find it necessary for them to be explained."
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Natural Law According to Thomas Hobbes and St.Thomas Aquinas, 2000.
The following essay discusses the existence and meaning of natural law.
1,380 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 2 sources, APA, $ 46.95
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Abstract
The following paper examines why many theorists reject the existence of natural law as well as why many agree to its being defined as a set of innate moral principles which are common to all human beings. It is the aim of this paper to identify and discuss the important similarities and differences that exist between the two theories making reference to the theories of Thomas Hobbes (1588 - 1679) and St.Thomas Aquinas (1224/25 - 1274).
From the Paper
"Aquinas proposed that the essential quality setting human beings apart from the rest of the animal world was that of reason. In a development of Aristotle's theory.Aquinas asserts that all men naturally possess an internalized divine spark of reason,which serves as the guide to an autonomous and responsible decision making process."
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Theory of Evolution, 1991.
This paper discusses the emergence of the theory of evolution as a scientifically accepted paradigm in context of Thomas Kuhn's ideas on scientific revolution.
2,700 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 9 sources, $ 95.95
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"The purpose of this research is to examine whether the actual history of science regarding the theory of evolution bears out Thomas S. Kuhn's thesis of the structure of scientific revolutions as following patterns of discovery, development of a paradigm, the emergence of anomalies producing crisis, and the development of new paradigms, all of which lead to a shift in the overall scientific world view. The plan of the research will be to set forth the historical-scientific concept in which Darwin's theory of evolution arose, and then to explore the details of theoretical development that appear to reflect elements of Kuhn's frame for analyzing scientific revolutions. As appropriate, both scientific and what might be termed the extra-scientific elements of prevailing culture will be cited, with a view toward showing that the emergence of an evolutionary world view had implications ... "
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The Scientific Method, 2004.
A look at the steps involved in the scientific method for verifying a scientific fact.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 2 sources, APA, $ 23.95
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Abstract
This paper describes the steps involved in the scientific method and gives some examples of the concepts involved in the idea. It describes some experiments which used scientific method, and defines what is needed to make a hypothesis.
From the Paper
"The scientific method consists of a number of logical steps that are taken to verify a process situation or scientific fact. It begins by the development of axioms and assumptions which are usually made on the basis of observations by the scientists, e.g., Vesalius made the first accurate description of the arterial and venous systems of the human body based on first-hand observations he gained from dissection of a number of human bodies. "The accuracy of observations gains..."
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Scientific Method and the Earthworm, 2002.
This paper explains the scientific method, the role of Rene Descartes in science and scientific information about the earthworm and then concludes with an elementary school project.
1,195 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
The paper commences by discussing, in detail and in a style that is easy to understand, the six steps of the scientific method. The next section of the paper presents Rene Descartes, mathematician and author of a text on physiology and psychology. Next, the author presents a detailed discussion of the earthworm. He designs an elementary education experiment project that uses the scientific method on earthworm segmentation. The author concludes that the earthworm is fascinating to watch as it moves and wiggles.
From the Paper
"Rene Descartes was a believer in the scientific method. His works often disagreed with the Catholic churches. He had a commitment to the scientific method with a vast array of other subjects. Mathematics was his greatest interest. Descartes wrote a text on physiology and psychology. He said that emotion was finally the physiological base and argued that the control of the physical expression of emotions controlled the emotions "
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