Abstract / Description of output
In this paper, I evaluate the thorny issue as to whether Thomas Kuhn’s view
supports a form of realism or relativism. I consider two prominent realist
readings of Kuhn, offered respectively by Hoyningen-Huene and Giere, and
some of the challenges each of them faces. I offer then a reading of Kuhn’s
contentious claim about “working in a new world” in terms of what I call
naturalized Kantian kinds. I show how this reading can escape some of the
challenges and deliver a mild form of realism.
supports a form of realism or relativism. I consider two prominent realist
readings of Kuhn, offered respectively by Hoyningen-Huene and Giere, and
some of the challenges each of them faces. I offer then a reading of Kuhn’s
contentious claim about “working in a new world” in terms of what I call
naturalized Kantian kinds. I show how this reading can escape some of the
challenges and deliver a mild form of realism.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions: 50 Years On |
| Editors | Alisa Bokulich, William Devlin |
| Place of Publication | Cham |
| Publisher | Springer |
| Pages | 135-152 |
| Volume | 311 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-3-319-13382-9 |
| Publication status | Published - 19 May 2015 |
Publication series
| Name | Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Springer |
| Volume | 311 |