Question

Explain what Paradigms are and how Kuhn uses this idea to better understand Normal Science and Revolutionary Science

Answer 1

Answer.

Accoridng to the philosopher and physicist Thomas Kuhn, science is characterised by a progression through different ideological stances. He gave the term paradigm to indicate a systematic ideology of basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline which determines a general theory of explanation as accepted by a community of scientists at a point in history. Thus, for him, science is not neutral or apriori. Rather scientific developments are as much a part of the larger Socio-historically determined culture and paradigms shape the rules which define whole of techniques, patents and values shared by the members of the community and come to constitute a scientific tradition.

In this regard, he distinguished between normal and revolutionary sciences. Normal science is described as scientific work done within a prevailing framework or paradigm where ipthe paardigm itself determines the rules of practice. It involves accumulating details in accord with established broad theory, without questioning or challenging the underlying assumptions of the theory. the paradigm itself gradually comes under challenge, and may get subjected to a paradigm shift. This radical change or paradigm shift marks the beginning of a revolutionary science. While the change in paradigm is gradual and incremental, in normal science, this change in theory is relatively sudden and total