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Paradigms, Populations and Problem-Fields: Approaches to Disagreement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2023

Douglas Allchin
Douglas Allchin*
Affiliation:
University of Chicago
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Extract

How do we characterize theoretical disagreement and how does this translate into strategies for practicing scientists? I integrate Kuhn’s (1962) notions of paradigms and problem-fields with Hull’s (1982,1988) concept of populational variation and Shapere’s (1974) characterization of domains in interpreting the Ox-Phos Controversy in bioenergetics (1961-1977). The analysis highlights the differences between intraparadigm disagreement (based on proposed solutions to shared problems) and interparadigm disagreement (based on the problems themselves and views of relevant domain).

Kuhn (1959,1962) introduced the notion that a single, uniform paradigm guides ‘normal science’. He further suggested that scientific communities undergo gestalt-like changes in research focus, implying that all disagreement is based on ‘incommensurable’ paradigms. Philosophers and historians of science concerned largely with how consensus is established (see Laudan 1984; Laudan and Laudan 1989) have found this problematic as a universal model (e.g., Lakatos and Musgrave 1970; Laudan 1977).

Type
Part II. Discovery and Change
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1990 , Issue 1: Volume One: Contributed Papers 1990 , 1990 , pp. 52 - 66
Copyright
Copyright © Philosophy of Science Association 1990

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Footnotes

1

My appreciation to Loren Butler, Sherrie Lyons, Jeff Ramsey, Erich Rech, George Reisch, Lee Rowen, Marc Swetlitz, Bill Wimsatt and one anonymous reviewer, whose comments and criticisms have contributed to the growth of this paper.

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