Demarcation of Science: Paradigms Flashcards
Understanding Kuhn’s idea of paradigms and paradigm shifts 2) Understanding why paradigms may be incommensurable 3) Capability to reflect on what amounts to truth
Give examples of paradigms?
Behaviourism: Precognitive.
Computationalism: Cognition as symbol manipulation, can be instantiated in any architecture.
Connectionism: Cognition as the activity of connected networks.
Predictive Processing: Perception as causal inference (i.e., perception is cognition).
Which three philosophers/physicist have contributed most to our knowledge today?
- Aristoteles
- Newton
- Einstein
What is a paradigm?
A paradigm is a set of theories, concepts or methods (etc.) that scientists have accepted as unproblematic. It is the either new or current idea/guideline for how science should be interpreted and practiced under.
It sets the standard for what is good and bad science in the current time.
What is the normative outlook on what scientists should do according to Thomas Kuhn?
Scientistic should either use Logical positivism or Falsification:
Logical positivism
Acceptability of a theory depends on its correspondence to evidence
Falsification
Holding on to theories depends on them withstanding falsification
What is the descriptive model - according to Kuhn?
According to Thomas Kuhn, scientists should and do follow the “Kuhn cycle” where science is sat, practiced, challenged etc, before a new paradigm shift happens.
What are the 6 stages in the Kuhn cycle?
- Pre-science: Only happens once in the circle
- Normal science
- Anomalies/Model drift
- Conflict/chaos - Model Crisis
- Innovation - Model revolution
- Change - Paradigm shift
What does incommensurable mean?
Means, cannot be measured, as a lack of neutral standard for which to compare.
What happens in the pre-science state of the Kuhn cycle?
This is the stage outside of the circle, it only happens once in each paradigm and is the stage before the paradigm. It does not look like science as we know it today.
What happens in the normal science state of the Kuhn cycle?
Consists of things scientists don’t just take for granted but don’t want to be critical about, as it would be a waste of time. This place can be seen as solving scientific puzzles within the rules of the given paradigm. Scientists are not critical about the paradigm at this point in the model, and simply take it for granted.
What happens in the anomaly/model drift state of the Kuhn cycle?
A problem within the paradigm is found/exists that the scientists are at present unable to solve.
What happens in the conflict/model crisis state of the Kuhn cycle?
Here is when scientists start to doubt the current paradigm as being correct, and lose confidence in their skill to solve the anomaly and therefore the science for which they are “allowed” to use to solve this anomaly.
What happens in the innovation/model revolution state of the Kuhn cycle?
If the anomalies within the paradigm cannot be solved, then a new paradigm emerges with a new set of theories, which promises to solve some of the serious questions/anomalies.
Where one paradigm is abandoned and another is born.
Important; The revolution is the exception NOT the rule, as a majority of scientists fare within the normal science and a stable paradigm
Is a paradigm shift common?
NO! The revolution is the exception NOT the rule, as a majority of scientists fare within the normal science and a stable paradigm
What happens in the change/paradigm shift state of the Kuhn cycle?
Here, the new paradigm is accepted as it can solve more of the important question/anomalies from the previous paradigm, and the idea of what correct science etc. is, is changed and accepted.
Thomas Kuhn says paradigms may be incommensurable, what does he mean by this?
Kuhn believes this because we cannot measure how much progress or other factor is changing with as we lack a neutral standard for which we can compare this. It is therefore incommensurable, as we have a lack of comparability using a neutral standard.
