Honors Thesis Archive
| Author | Ronald J. Ross |
|---|---|
| Title | Let There Be Light: An Argument for the Possibility of Paradigm Change through Debate |
| Department | Philosophy |
| Advisors | Nancy McHugh, Don Reed, and Ty Buckman |
| Year | 2009 |
| Honors | University Honors |
| Full Text | View Thesis (188 KB) |
| Abstract | In 1962 Thomas Kuhn argued that scientific revolutions occur through paradigm change. That is, the model for the way we understand the world is completely replaced by a new incompatible model. He also claimed that these revolutions are non-cumulative, and thus there is actual incommensurability between the paradigms. However, by stating the process of revolution in such an exaggerated manner in order to highlight the non-cumulative nature of paradigm change, Kuhn precludes the possibility of revolution through debate. I argue that a close examination of the works of Francis Bacon as well as a scrutiny of Galileo and Priestley reveal genuine areas of rationally adjudicable, commensurable agreement. Furthermore, I posit a process, based on the ideas of Willard Von Orman Quine, whereby we might actually affect revolution, in whole or in part, through the process of debate. |
Return to Main Honors Thesis Archive Page
Back