180022 PS Thomas Kuhn: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (2021S)

In this course, we will read Thomas Kuhn’s “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”, originally published in 1962. The work is considered by many to be one among the most influential books of the last century, as it reformed the way we think of science. Kuhn, trained as a physicist himself, presents a picture of scientific practice as shifting between periods of “normal science” and “extraordinary science”. In an extraordinary or revolutionary phase, a scientific field goes through a revision, where basic concepts, experimental practices and theories are changed. This view of science contrasts with the previously standard understanding of science as a cumulative enterprise, in which new “truths” are just added onto the stack of “old truths”.

In the weekly online meetings, we will discuss the text in small groups as well as in plenum, guided by tasks and discussion questions.

The course is designed with the aim of developing the ability to understand and critically reflect on a philosophical text. Throughout the course, by working on the specific topic of scientific revolutions, the students will develop their general skills of:

- understanding and analysing a philosophical text;
- posing questions for discussion;
- coming up with research topics;
- constructive discussion;
- planning and writing an essay.