Thomas Kuhn Biography
1922-1996

The man who mildly shocked the mind body split churches (universities) worldwide
Life in Formal Science of Thomas Kuhn, in 5 major jumps: Born July 18, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.
priests-of-body-mind-split 1948 Asst. professor education and history of science: Harvard
1949 Ph. D. physics from Harvard
1956 University of California-Berkeley
1961 Professor of History of Science at California-Berkeley
1979 Philosophy and History of Science: MIT

Professor = Rational priest
University = Rational Church



thomas kuhn as students Thomas Kuhn wrote the confronting Structure of Scientific Revolutions at age 26 shortly after WWII (as an article), while being graduate student in theoretical physics at Harvard. During World War II, Kuhn had served as a civilian employee at Harvard, and in Europe with OSRD (military research). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (SSR) was originally printed as an article in the International Encyclopedia of Unified Science, published by the logical positivists of the Vienna Circle.
In France, Kuhn's view of science was compared with Michel Foucault (with Kuhn's paradigm corresponding to Foucault's episteme) and Louis Althusser. These 2 thinkers though did not see science as isolated from society as Kuhn does.

aristotle galileo paradigm clash
popper-kuhn-debate-standpoint-determines-view
The curious student of theoretical physics Thomas Kuhn saw in a brilliant flash that he, like all western scientists, had always in dualistic way seen progress in the step from the view of Aristotle to the view of and 'Galileo/Newton' about motion. As if these views (of Aristotle and Galilei) were part of one in 'continuous' way progressing science. Kuhn's flash made him see Aristotle and Galilei used different conceptual schemes and both had produced a consistent view of motion from their own standpoint. Like Thomas Kuhn in his 'debate' with Karl Popper realized that some conceptual representation could be seen as 'rabbit or duck or ...' or only as 'duck'(Popper). That way Aristotle produced a fine logic around 'motion' that in 'Newtonian' eyes seemed a passed stage.


Thomas Kuhn realized that Aristotle took 'motion' as change of state in general, whereas Newton regarded (linear) motion as a state in the process 'movement'. Aristotle used the word 'motion' to point at change in reality (say: the sun rising in the morning). As a logic on its own Aristotle's physics wasn't 'bad Newton', Newton treated Laws of Movement and Aristotle treated Laws of Change.
That change required action was obvious for Aristotle. Newton (extending the ideas of Galileo) felt that motion at 1 continuous speed needed no explanation in terms of forces. Motion in jumps and and semi-'continuous' change are 2 parallel concepts of going ahead, independent but both valid when seen in common sense, and not 2 sequential models of the same phenomenon (a bit TRUE and a bit more TRUE) in an overall TRUE 'metaphysics' (Quantum Theory seems to be a peculiar mix).
The student of physics Kuhn was purely interested in physical concepts, and missed the cultural aspect in Aristotle's 'god' (a concept of society and no religious god) as source of motion, and heavily influenced Catholic essentials about 'creation' (dualism) and mind-body-split. Thomas Kuhn purposely took the name Scientific Revolutions and ignored the wider social aspects in a western society that is deeply catholic/protestant. That appears as elitist, but as mentioned before Kuhn quite 'rationally' (and inherently quite ignorant and arrogant) saw science as isolated from society. But consistent, because 'rationality' considers 'understanding' as METAphysical activity.


SSR was printed as re-edited book in 1962 . It sold some one million copies in 16 languages. Thomas Kuhn revived thought about Paradigm and Paradigm shift and initiated thought about conceptual schemes.

The elder Kuhn was not that curious anymore and did not use his earlier ideas to start a paradigm shift, but instead designed a compromise Kuhnian Paradigm (Shift) that did not attack 'science' anymore. Thomas Kuhn was a 'scientific radical' compared to Karl Popper, but in fact no radical at all. Though Kuhn's ideas as student without doubt attacked the foundations of a 'happy with itself' science. The Kuhnian Paradigm is a minor paradigm and only around 'science'. In fact a closed circle 'science' with INSIDE kuhnian paradigm shifts that only reshape 'science' a little bit, by extending 'science'. This is presented nicely by 'the world of science' (= white background of picture on the left) as a balloon, and Kuhnian Paradigm Shifts as bulbs on the surface but still in the balloon (instead of as implosion of 2 partially apart worlds)


As adult Thomas Kuhn never intended anymore to end the Western Scientific Paradigm. Alhough generally respected in the world of science he had not the drive of Friedrich Nietzsche. Kuhnian Paradigm Shifts became revolutions expanding and NOT replacing the western 'Catholic'/'rational' paradigm' (part of the western Aristotelian Paradigm). The adult Kuhn was quite content as famous western professor.

Thomas Kuhn suffered from cancer during the last years of his life. Kuhn died on Monday, June 17, 1996, at the age of 73 at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

thomas kuhn science wars kuhn-thomas-by-david-levine thomas kuhn cycle

link to overview Kuhn and paradigm link to Description of Paradigm Shift link to Kuhn and Nietsche


Major Paradigm Shift
major paradigm shift paradigm cycle

most pictures on the websites of Henk Tuten
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