Book contents
- Interpreting Kuhn
- Interpreting Kuhn
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Foundational Issues
- Part II Three Core Concepts
- Chapter 5 Mop-Up Work
- Chapter 6 Kuhn and the Varieties of Incommensurability
- Chapter 7 Reassessing the Notion of a Kuhnian Revolution
- Part III Kuhnian Themes
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 6 - Kuhn and the Varieties of Incommensurability
from Part II - Three Core Concepts
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 June 2021
- Interpreting Kuhn
- Interpreting Kuhn
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I Foundational Issues
- Part II Three Core Concepts
- Chapter 5 Mop-Up Work
- Chapter 6 Kuhn and the Varieties of Incommensurability
- Chapter 7 Reassessing the Notion of a Kuhnian Revolution
- Part III Kuhnian Themes
- Bibliography
- Index
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.
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- Interpreting KuhnCritical Essays, pp. 105 - 124Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
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