Thomas Kuhn`s Paradigm Theory

In the social sciences , paradigms don 't die they develop varicose veins and get fitted with cardiac pacemakers . - Frederick Erickson

The concept of a paradigm shift was first introduced by Thomas Kuhn in his 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions to describe a revolutionary change in the sphere of science that would forever change the common and universally accepted set of laws and assumptions with which natural scientist approach their subject and interpret their material in their attempt to understand the natural world . Although Kuhn himself limited the use of

this concept to the sphere of natural sciences , many scholars of the humanities have often successfully made use of the concept in their respective fields . However Kuhn had doubts about such random applications of the theory and these doubts are based on some well thought out arguments

For instance , unlike a natural scientist , a student in the humanities has constantly before him a number of competing and incommensurable solutions to these problems , solutions that he must ultimately examine for himself (The Structure of Scientific Revolutions . A natural scientist on the other hand can never consider or work with theories of earlier paradigm once a paradigm shift is complete . Thus a natural scientist cannot work with the theory of light being transmitted through ether once that paradigm has ceased to exist and still claim his interpretations of the material to be correct . Nor is he allowed the luxury of believing that the sun circles round the earth once a paradigm shift regarding this has occurred . A student of the humanity , however can still apply the Aristotelian theories of tragedy to a modern-day tragedy or make use of Marxism to interpret and explain economic occurrences . This is because , unlike in the hard sciences , in the humanities there are no absolute right or wrong . The relativity of the laws of humanities is what makes them , according to Kuhn , unsuitable for the application of the concept of paradigm shift

According to Kuhn a Paradigm can be defined as a fundamental image of the subject matter within a science . It serves to define what should be studied , what questions should be asked , how they should be asked , and what rules should be followed in interpreting the answers obtained . The paradigm is the broadest unit of consensus within a science and serves to differentiate one scientific community (or sub community ) from another . It subsumes , defines , and interrelates the exemplars , theories and methods and instruments that exist within it . However , Kuhn problematizes this definition by further defining `paradigms ' as exemplars , that is , concrete solutions to scientific problems and puzzles . This definition has in mind definitive laboratory experiments that serve as models or milestones for scientists . But few social sciences have laboratory experiments that can function as exemplars or concrete solutions to puzzles . Thus the theory of `paradigm shift ' has little applicability to the social sciences according to Kuhn where few `revolutions ' occur , at least in the Kuhnian sense of the term

Nevertheless the concept of...