The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
In "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," Thomas S. Kuhn argues that scientific progress is not a linear accumulation of knowledge but rather occurs through paradigm shifts, where existing frameworks are replaced by new ones after a period of crisis. He introduces concepts like "normal science," where researchers work within a prevailing paradigm, and "revolutionary science," which emerges when anomalies undermine the existing framework. Kuhn's work challenges the traditional view of science as a steady, objective pursuit of truth, emphasizing the role of social and historical contexts in shaping scientific development.
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Key Insights & Memorable Quotes
Below are the most impactful passages and quotes from The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, carefully selected to capture the essence of the book.
The man who is convinced of the truth of his conclusions will have no doubts about the means he has used to arrive at them.
Normal science does not aim at novelties of fact or theory and, when successful, finds none.
Theories are not merely tools for prediction but also serve as the basis for the interpretation of new observations.
What we see when we look at the world is determined not only by the world we see but also by the theories we hold.
The history of science is a history of revolutions.
In the sciences, as in the arts, all the significant breakthroughs occur when a whole system of thought is abandoned.
The shift from one paradigm to another is not a gradual process but rather a sudden transformation.
Science progresses by a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions.
Scientists can only work within the confines of their paradigms.
A scientific revolution is the tradition-shattering replacement of one framework of scientific practice by another.
The man who is only a thinker is not a scientist.
What is at stake in a paradigm shift is not just a change of mind, but a change in the world.
Theories are not simply true or false; they are also more or less useful.
Scientific revolutions are not made by the will of individual scientists.
The history of science is not the history of a steady progression toward the truth.
A paradigm shift occurs when what was once considered a normal science is challenged.
In science, as in life, there are no final answers.
The scientist is not a man who learns facts but a man who learns how to think.
The process of scientific development is not linear but rather cyclical.
The successive development of scientific knowledge is not an incremental process but a series of revolutions.
Paradigms are the universally recognized scientific achievements that for a time provide model problems and solutions to a community of practitioners.
When paradigms change, the world itself changes with them.
The role of the scientist is to solve puzzles, not to question the framework within which the puzzles are posed.
Scientific progress is not the result of a linear accumulation of knowledge but rather a series of paradigm shifts.
A paradigm shift occurs when a new theory emerges that offers a better explanation of the data.
The acceptance of a new paradigm requires a transformation of the scientific community's beliefs and practices.
Incommensurability refers to the inability to compare two paradigms because they are based on different standards.
Revolutions in science do not occur in a vacuum; they are influenced by cultural, social, and historical contexts.
The man who is convinced of the truth of his beliefs is not likely to be open to the possibility that they are wrong.
The history of science is a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions.
Scientific revolutions are not the result of a gradual accumulation of knowledge.
To reject one paradigm without substituting another is to reject science itself.
The development of science is not a straightforward accumulation of knowledge.
What scientists actually do is much more complicated than any set of rules can capture.
Each of the several sciences has its own distinct paradigm.
The decision to reject one paradigm is always simultaneously the decision to accept another.
The nature of scientific progress is deeply tied to the social context in which it occurs.
The man who is convinced of the truth of his scientific beliefs is not only a scientist but also a man of faith.
Scientific revolutions are not cumulative; they change the world view.
Normal science does not aim at novelties of fact or theory.
Theories can only be tested against the background of a theoretical framework.
A scientific community cannot exist without a shared paradigm.
What is scientifically valid is determined by the prevailing paradigm.
The transition from one paradigm to another is not a gradual process.
Scientists are not merely passive observers; they are active participants in the creation of knowledge.
The study of science cannot be divorced from the study of history.
The man who is a master of patience is master of everything else.
Revolutions are not made by the majority but by a minority.
What people actually do when they are confronted with a scientific puzzle is to look for a solution within the framework of the existing paradigm.
The study of the history of science is not an end in itself but a means to better understand the nature of science.
Scientific progress is a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions.
Theories are replaced by new theories that explain the same phenomena in a different way.
The role of the scientist is not to record nature but to create it.
Crisis and the emergence of new paradigms are essential to scientific development.