Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
between nature and theory may be ignored, explained ad hoc to
resolve the apparent conflict or set aside for future work, but do not
lead to a renouncement of the paradigm.
Sooner or later, however, the paradigm becomes weakened
and undermined by an increasing number of obvious anomalies.
Some scientists may then begin to lose their confidence in the
paradigm and may even openly express their discontent with it.
More and more attention is devoted to the difficulties by more
and more of the most eminent research workers in the relevant
scientific community. Speculative and unarticulated theories that
could point to fundamentally new discoveries may be developed.
In fact, this period very much resembles the pre-scientific period.
The time is now ripe for a revolution if an alternative paradigm
not beset with obvious anomalies is available. Kuhn has likened
the change-over from one paradigm to another to a conversion and
a gestalt switch. Indeed, the choice of a new paradigm is seen as
a decision to adopt a different native language and to develop it
in a different world. The development, therefore, is not a progress
toward an ultimate truth.
Scientists embrace a new paradigm for all sorts of reasons
depending upon idiosyncrasies of autobiography and personality and
not primarily on logical considerations. Thus, the kind of factors
that prove effective in causing scientists to change paradigm is
mainly a matter to be discovered by psychological and sociological
investigations, although logical arguments are involved such as
numbers and the seriousness of the anomalies.
The scientific revolution is over and 'normal science' can
continue when the relevant scientific community as a whole has
abandoned the previous paradigm and adopted the alternative new
one - leaving only a few dissenters who eventually die out. Kuhn
sees the old and new paradigm as 'incommensurable'. Thus, there
are no plain logical arguments that demonstrate the superiority of
the successful paradigm, since the fundamental premises of the two
