Question

Thomas Kuhn, a great historian of science, said that "big ideas" in science are not discovered at fixed moments in history, but are discovered over extended periods of time by multiple scientists. We often hear it said that William Harvey "discovered the circulation of the blood." Kuhn would say that this is not true. He would say that when we speak of today's meaning of the "circulation of the blood," the concept of "circulation" required centuries to be discovered. Pretend you are Kuhn, and argue for his points of view. Then, speaking for yourself, explain why you agree or disagree with Kuhn.

Answer 1

Thomas Kuhn argued that scientific ideas are discovered over extended periods of time by multiple scientists, and the concept of circulation of the blood required centuries to be fully understood. I agree with Kuhn that scientific knowledge accumulates gradually and undergoes paradigm shifts.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to philosopher Thomas Kuhn, scientific ideas are not discovered at fixed moments in history, but are discovered gradually over extended periods of time by multiple scientists.

Kuhn argued that when we speak of today's meaning of a scientific concept, it required centuries to be fully understood. He believed that scientific knowledge accumulates gradually and occasionally undergoes radical changes in what he called paradigm shifts.

From my perspective, I agree with Kuhn's view that scientific ideas develop over time and are not the product of a single individual's discovery. Many scientific breakthroughs are the result of collaborative efforts and the accumulation of knowledge from multiple researchers.

The concept of the circulation of the blood, for example, was not a sudden discovery by William Harvey, but rather a gradual understanding that evolved over centuries with contributions from various scientists and researchers.