"Kuhn and Rationality," Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science, Ghent University, September 23, 2011.

Kuhn's description of the aggregate dynamics of scientific change rests on a vague and fragmented account of how scientists choose between theories. Criteria of theory choice are not an algorithmic set of rules waiting to be discovered but rather "rules of thumb": vague and conflicting. Theory choice
can therefore never be settled by logic and experiment alone, but relies on "persuasion" and "conversion". And once converted, scientists "dogmatically" stick to their paradigm even when good reasons arise for its rejection. The lack (impossibility?) of rationality on Kuhn's approach is one of the main reasons why Kuhn's philosophy of science failed to gain widespread acceptance despite its intuitive appeal and popularity among practicing cientists. 50 years after the publication of the Structure of Scientific Revolutions the following questions still arise:

- Is an account of Kuhnian rationality impossible or did Kuhn just fail to articulate one?
- In what sense can Kuhnian scientists be said to be rational?
- Can new perspectives (network theory, bounded confidence,...) on rationality clarify Kuhn's claims to rationality?

More information: rogierdelanghe@gmail.com

Kang, Du Won. "A Fresh Look at Thomas Kuhn’s Philosophy of Science: Part 2." EPOCH TIMES August 14, 2010.

With a focus on what scientists do rather than what they should do, Thomas Kuhn emphasized the powerful role that values and interests play in science as a social activity. At the same time, he acknowledged that there are some rational and effective aspects of what scientists do.

Charges of irrationalism in Kuhn’s philosophy were partially true, as Kuhn himself acknowledged, but some of the charges may have been too extreme.

In The Trouble with the Historical Philosophy of Science, published in 1992, Kuhn continued to explain that personal interest, politics, power, and authority play a role in science, as they do in other aspects of societal life.

However, Kuhn did not agree with the postmodernist movement, called the “strong program,” which claims that power and interests are all there are. While there is an irrational side to the practice of science, observations of nature do play a role in scientific development, according to Kuhn. . . .

Read the rest here: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/40946/.

Kang, Du Won. "A Fresh Look at Thomas Kuhn’s Philosophy of Science: Part 1." EPOCH TIMES August 5, 2010.

The most widely read work on the philosophy of science, was and still is very influential while being widely misunderstood.

In his famed book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Structure for short), Kuhn introduced some controversial aspects of science while confusing some of his points, which led to decades of misunderstanding and criticism. Furthermore, Kuhn’s descriptions of what scientists normally do as dogmatic and rigid were not well received by many who celebrated the achievements of science.

He spent much of his later life trying to clarify his views about science while continuing to refine his philosophy beyond Structure. Some of the most lucid clarifications of what he thought about science were revealed in candid discussions not long before his death from cancer in 1996. . . .
 
Read the rest here: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/40414/.

von Dietze, Eric. Review of Stefano Gattei's THOMAS KUHN'S LINGUISTIC TURN AND THE LEGACY OF LOGICAL EMPIRICISM. MOR (July 2009).

Gattei, Stefano. Thomas Kuhn's 'Linguistic Turn' and the Legacy of Logical Empiricism. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008. Gattei's contribution is essentially an approach from the history of ideas as well as philosophical engagement. He unpacks Kuhn's notion of incommensurability and makes it accessible; he shows how the ideas have come together, how different individuals have contributed and how the debate has developed over time. This book is written by a philosopher who understands the issues and the nuances of key ideas, and who has also taken time to engage with the material from an historical perspective. . . . Read the whole review here: http://metapsychology.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=book&id=4997&cn=394.

"T. S. Kuhn's THE STRUCTURE OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS: Impact, Relevance and Open Issues," University of Athens, August 21-23, 2008.

Thursday 21 August 2008

Morning Session 10:00 - 11:15 Aristidis Baltas (National Technical University of Athens): "The Logic of Paradigm Shift" 11:15 -- 11:45 Coffee Break 11:45 -- 13:00 Hasok Chang (University College London):"Incommensurability: Revisiting the Chemical Revolution" Evening Session 18:00 -- 19:15 Rupert Read (University of East Anglia): "How far canscience determine our environmental values? An answer, courtesy of Kuhn and Winch" 19:15 -- 19:30 Coffee Break 19:30 -- 20:45 James Conant (University of Chicago): "Kuhn and Nonsense"

Friday 22 August 2008

Morning Session 10:00 - 11:15 Jouni-Matti Kuukkanen (Durham University): "Evolutionary development of science and scientific progress: Can evolution lead to the truth?" 11:15 -- 11:45 Coffee Break 11:45 -- 13:00 James A. Marcum (Baylor University, USA): "Systems Biology: a Kuhnian Scientific Revolution?" Evening Session 18:00 -- 19:15 Theodore Arabatzis (University of Athens): "Truth and Historical Interpretation: Kuhn versus the Analytic Philosophical Tradition" 19:15 -- 19:30 Coffee Break 19:30 -- 20:45 Alan Richardson (University of British Columbia):"Thomas Kuhn in the History of Philosophy of Science"

Saturday 23 August 2008

Morning Session 10:00 - 11:15 Vasso Kindi (University of Athens): "Rules and Novelty: Kuhn's impact outside science" 11:15 -- 11:45 Coffee Break 11:45 -- 13:00 Guröl Irzik (Bogasiçi University, Turkey) & Sibel Irzik (Sabanci University, Turkey): "Kuhn's impact on literary theory and criticism" To register, please contact Vasso Kindi: vkindi@phs.uoa.gr.