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Chapter 6 - Kuhn and the Varieties of Incommensurability

from Part II - Three Core Concepts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2021

K. Brad Wray
Affiliation:
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
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Summary

I examine the variety of Kuhn’s notions of incommensurability, including methodological, semantic and observational incommensurability as found in the Structure of Scientific Revolutions, and local incommensurability as found in later publications. I argue that through these various presentations, Kuhn establishes reasons to criticize and reject the correspondence theory of truth that is predicated on a mind-independent world. I show that under both observational incommensurability and local incommensurability, Kuhn provides reasons to criticize the epistemic assumptions in truth as correspondence. I maintain that for both semantic incommensurability and local incommensurability, Kuhn assumes the conception of language as the universal medium. I contend that this view of language, together with Kuhn’s rejection of a neutral language, provides reasons to challenge the linguistic assumptions behind the correspondence theory. I suggest that, given the challenges his thesis of incommensurability raises against truth as correspondence, Kuhn rejects the correspondence theory and instead considers alternative theories of truth.

Type
Chapter
Information
Interpreting Kuhn
Critical Essays
, pp. 105 - 124
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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