My Account Wish List
Advanced Search
Print - Close Window
www.greenwood.com/catalog/C6999.aspx
All Greenwood Products
Paradigms Explained Rethinking Thomas Kuhn's Philosophy of Science
(Click to Enlarge)
Erich von Dietze
Book Code: C6999
ISBN: 0-275-96999-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-275-96999-8
192 pages
Praeger Publishers
Publication: 9/30/2001
List Price: $110.95 (UK Sterling Price: £65.00)
Availability: Print on demand
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • Paradigms Explained provides a valuable overview of Thomas Kuhn's philosophical thought... It is also a useful contribution to ongoing debates about theory choice and the role of superempirical values in adjudicating scientific theories.
    —History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences     2006
  • Endorsement From William A. Johnson
    Albert V. Danielsen Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus
    Brandeis University:     The best analytical study of Thomas Kuhn's paradigm theory that has been written. More than an exposition of Kuhn, the work is characterized by an interpretation of the development and changes in Kuhn's thought, and, as well, Kuhn's response to his critics. Von Dietze also adds his own interpretation of the utility of Kuhn's paradigm theory for epistemology, lexical taxonomics, the coherence theory of evidence, education, and so on. Von Dietze's book is a seminal and original contribution to the growing world-wide interest in Kuhn-studies.
Description: Thomas Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions, which examines paradigm theory as it relates to philosophy of science, is among the most widely read--and debated--books in the history and philosophy of science. In Paradigms Explained, the author examines both the contributions and the limitations of Kuhn's work on paradigm theory, offering arguments for why Kuhn's initial ideas fail, as well as how his later and lesser-known works offer a modified and more workable solution to the problems Kuhn attempted to address in Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Von Dietze's accessible writing style and thought-provoking exploration of Kuhn's writings and their impact on scientific, philosophical, and social thought engage the reader and offer new insights into the simultaneously problematic and hugely influential ideas of one of the most prominent philosophers of science. Not limiting himself to just examining Structure of Scientific Revolutions, von Dietze also explores the ideas of Kuhn's earlier and later works. He thus provides an integrated discussion of the debates surrounding Kuhn's famous paradigm theory. As current interest in Kuhn's work increases, and as increasingly diverse fields endeavor to apply his paradigm theory, von Dietze's clear exploration and criticism of Kuhn's writings will prove to be an invaluable asset.
Table of Contents:
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • The Ideal of Certainty: Foundationalism and its Problems
  • Theories as Structured Wholes
  • The Early Paradigm Debate
  • Kuhn's Clarifications, Responses, and Developments
  • Applying Kuhn's Paradigms: An Educational Critique
  • Coherence Theory of Evidence: A Way Forward
  • Bibliography
  • Index
LC Card Number: 00-069860
LCC Class: BD225
Dewey Class: 191
All rights reserved. Copyright © 1999-2008 Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
88 Post Road West, Westport CT 06881, (203) 226-3571