Paradigm Theory (Kuhn)

Overview

Kuhn's paradigm theory explains scientific progress not as linear accumulation but as a cyclical process: normal science operates within a paradigm until anomalies accumulate, triggering crisis and eventually a revolutionary paradigm shift. The new paradigm is incommensurable with the old — they literally see different worlds.

When to Use

• Analyzing why a scientific or professional field resists new ideas
• Tracing historical shifts in dominant frameworks within a discipline
• Understanding why debates between competing schools seem irresolvable
• Evaluating whether a field is in normal science, crisis, or revolutionary phase

When NOT to Use

• When analyzing incremental, non-revolutionary knowledge growth (use Lakatos instead)
• When the focus is on individual discovery rather than community-level shifts
• When normative evaluation of which paradigm is "better" is required (Kuhn is descriptive)