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The Role of Paradigms in Science: A Historical Perspective

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Paradigms in Theory Construction

Abstract

The studies of Thomas Kuhn gave a new interpretation of the philosophy of science (1977, 1978, 1983, 1995). This new kind of approach consists of a total reorganization even of the linguistic ways, to approach the whole scientific enterprise as well as that of individual scientists, so that even today the notion of “paradigm” is an essential one. To make use of the category “paradigm” implies, of course, the risk inherent in its polysemy, but this is also an advantage because it allows a more free and effective application of the concept in different historical periods and even more in different fields of knowledge.

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Acknowledgment

One of the authors (SL) thanks his former student Leonardo Malgieri for providing him material on the history of studies on black body radiation.

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Correspondence to Corinna Guerra .

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Guerra, C., Capitelli, M., Longo, S. (2012). The Role of Paradigms in Science: A Historical Perspective. In: L'Abate, L. (eds) Paradigms in Theory Construction. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0914-4_2

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