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Summary: A whole new perspective on the scientific act
Review: this classical book is a real mind changer for the amateur scientist - philosopher. Kuhn gives the world of science and scientists a new perspective and leads the way for contemporary philosophy of science. a great first look at an open field of philosophy.
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Summary: Hard to read and probably wrong
Review: I fear Kuhn and his readers have never tried to do a scientific experiment. They are really very difficult to do and producing accurate measurements often seems impossible. This is why it has taken years for science to develop. The experimental techniques just didn't exist.When Copernicus suggested the earth went around the sun there was no way to prove it. It took another century before techniques had become accurate enough. That the earth is in the centre is perfectly logical if you don't know any better. The same applied with electricity - the apparatus was so primitive that meaningful results just didn't exist. Because experiments couldn't be repeated there was no way that any theory would stick. Relativity only surplanted Newton when we could do experiments to show the speed of light was constant. This, as you can imagine, was rather hard to do until recently. The idea that scientific development is independent of truth is just daft. If it was then quantum mechanics could never have led to the microprocessor that is running this computer.
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Summary: Intersting book , but not for easy reading
Review: Thomas S. Kuhn, the former professor of phylosophy at MIT, explains us the ideas, causes, events, and effects of scientific revolutions. He gives the definition of the "paradigms" and shows the way they work. Mainly, the author explaines that the resulting "shift" from the old paradigm to a new one is a scientific revolution itself. The clarifying of the major differences between the pre- and the post-paradigm periods in the development of science plays an important role too. The only problem is that the major aspects of the book aply to the natural science only. Very well-written and well-systemized book. It might be especially interesting for scientists who like to see and understand the history of their field.
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Summary: Thomas Kuhn is a rare, big systems thinker
Review: "Paradigms" are the cliché of the 90's. Today we talk about "changing our paradigms" about as often as we "change our tires" and "change our minds". Here is a little trivia: Thomas Kuhn invented the concept of "paradigm shift" in 1962. This book is a classic. Kuhn is one of the giants of systems thinking. Read the source and find out how Copernicus caused a 30 year crises when he suggested that the earth might revolve around sun! Are we more advanced than the days of Copernicus? Probably not. This book is worthwhile exercise in humility training.
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Summary: Amazing book
Review: I read this book for a philosophy 101 class and it was the only title on the list that was bearable. I was surprised because I'm as terrible at science as philosophy, but Kuhn makes it understandable. This is one of those books that just makes the reader say "wow..." Everybody interested in learning more about the history/philosophy of science should read this.
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Summary: Seminal work in the philosophy of science.
Review: Kuhn, especially in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, has had a massive impact on the philosophy of science. His historicist approach has definitely brought to attention the sorts of unexamined beliefs inherent in the development of science. His emphasis on historical contingency places him squarely in opposition to Popper regarding how science makes progress. I think this appreciation of contingency is the useful part of Kuhn's work, but that the instruments he uses - the binary opposition between "normal" and "revolutionary" science are too crude. There seem to be plenty of occasions in science where beliefs - even fundamental ones - are examined and re-worked, without an actual paradigm shift - occasions which seem more than the tinkering associated with normal science and less than the Gestalt shift of revolution. Also, his doctrine of the incommensurability of paradigms seems problematic - how does a new paradigm arise? It seems to preclude the very real discourse which occurs within a discipline during a time of crisis or revoultion - people do seem able to communicate across paradigms. Some of his paradigmatic paradigm shifts are a little crudely drawn, too - the often cited relativity vs Newton case was actually a good deal more "organic" in its genesis than Kuhn acknowledge, for example. Kuhn, like Foucault in The Order of Things, is keen to be a historicist, but seems to play a little fast and loose with the history in order to do so. A top book, but it should be read in conjunction with some Popper or Lauden to give some balance.
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Summary: Not different from the second edition.
Review: The 3rd ed. (1996) is, with the exception of a two page index, identical to the 2nd ed. (1970). I can find no differences between the two versions, save that short index.
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Summary: A masterpiece of historiography
Review: There are few words to describe the powerful insights which Kuhn offers us in the area of science. It is clear to me that we are now moving through just the kind of scientific revolution Kuhn describes. Darwinism is inexorably replacing creationism as a paradigm (Kuhn`s word) for how we all got here. It is slow to be sure, just as Kuhn says, but it is happening with tidal force. Anyone wanting to understand these kinds of scientific changes will profit from getting Kuhn`s point of view. I don`t believe in shouting (in print or otherwise) so I`ll type: g-e-t i-t !!
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Summary: Thoughtful but parses like mental molasses
Review: I agree with reader #2: this text is difficult to assimilate. Kuhn writes terribly (long, convoluted sentances). Is it worthwhile? Probably. The material presented by Kuhn might best be contrasted with George Basalla's book THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGY.
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Summary: a milestone
Review: THis book is a definitive milestone a real must also in this IT revolution's years!!!
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