Re: BHA: negativity wins

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

Mervyn Hartwig wrote:
>
> from the Newtonian to the Einsteinian in physics.
>

I really do not see why this shift should be considered such a big deal.
Most scientists seem to have taken it pretty much in their stride. And
if "paradigm" is to be given the weight many give it, then I think you
have to include as one part of the present paradigm further such shifts
-- hence such further shifts will confirm, not disrupt, the present
paradigm. On the other hand should some one establish that there will
never again be a shift as extreme as the Newton-Einstein shift, then
_that_ would be a paradigm shift indeed. Adherents of TOE seem to
anticipate such a shift in physics.

Put it another way: the only change, within the physical & biological
sciences, which I would see as representing a "Kuhnian paradigm shift"
would be one which emptied the term "research program" of meaning. TOE
in physics would do it. Hawking sees physicists changing from making new
discoveries to making physics intelligible to everyone.

Darwin did not initiate a new research program -- he created one where
before there had only been only intelligent speculation (e.g. Epicurus).
And of course, claimed "paradigm shifts" can be non-starters -- e.g.,
Freud.

Carrol


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