Acta Structuralica

international journal for structuralist research

Book | Chapter

184303

Saving Kuhn from the sociologists of science

Robert Nola

pp. 213-226

Abstract

For many in the science education community Kuhn is often closely identified with a sociological approach, as opposed to a philosophical approach, to matters raised in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. This paper is an attempt to liberate Kuhn from too close an association with the sociology of scientific knowledge. While Kuhn was interested in some sociological issues concerning science, e.g., how to individuate communities of scientists, many of his other interests were not sociological. In fact in later writings he was quite hostile to the claims of the Strong Programme. This difference in his post-Structure writings is explored, along with his model of weighted values as an account of theory choice. This model has little in common with the model of theory choice advocated by Strong Programmers and much more in common with traditional philosophical concerns about theory choice.

Publication details

Published in:

Bevilacqua Fabio, Giannetto Enrico, Matthews Michael R. (2001) Science education and culture: the contribution of history and philosophy of science. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 213-226

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-010-0730-6_15

Full citation:

Nola Robert (2001) „Saving Kuhn from the sociologists of science“, In: F. Bevilacqua, E. Giannetto & M. R. Matthews (eds.), Science education and culture, Dordrecht, Springer, 213–226.