Paradigmára

Paradigmára is a term that refers to a fundamental shift in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline. The concept was popularized by the philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn in his 1962 book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." Kuhn argued that scientific progress does not occur in a linear, cumulative fashion, but rather through a series of "paradigm shifts."

A paradigm, in Kuhn's view, is a set of shared beliefs, values, and techniques that guide the work of a scientific community. It defines what is considered legitimate scientific inquiry, what questions are worth asking, and what methods are appropriate for answering them. During periods of "normal science," scientists work within an established paradigm, solving puzzles and extending its reach.

However, anomalies – observations that cannot be explained by the current paradigm – can accumulate over time. When these anomalies become too numerous or too significant, they can lead to a "crisis" in the scientific discipline. This crisis can eventually be resolved by the emergence of a new paradigm that can account for the anomalies and offer a new way of understanding the world. This transition from an old paradigm to a new one is what Kuhn termed a paradigm shift.

Examples of paradigm shifts in science include the Copernican revolution, which replaced the geocentric model of the universe with the heliocentric model, and the development of quantum mechanics, which fundamentally altered our understanding of the subatomic world. Kuhn's concept of paradigm shifts has been influential not only in the philosophy of science but also in other fields, where it is used to describe significant changes in thinking or practice.