Critical Theory of Scientific Paradigms

The application of Critical Theory to Kuhn's concept of scientific paradigms—examining how paradigms are shaped by power, how they exclude alternative views, and how paradigm shifts are political as well as scientific. Critical Theory of Scientific Paradigms asks: Who benefits from dominant paradigms? Whose work is marginalized? How do power relations influence which paradigms succeed? It draws on Kuhn but adds critical analysis of the social forces that shape scientific revolutions. Paradigms aren't just cognitive; they're social, institutional, political.

"Paradigm shifts happen, Kuhn said. Critical Theory of Scientific Paradigms asks: why these shifts? Who benefits? The shift from geocentrism to heliocentrism wasn't just science; it was politics—church power, state power, institutional power. Paradigms aren't just ideas; they're systems of authority. Critical theory insists on asking who holds power in the paradigm, and who's excluded."

Critical Theory of Scientific Paradigms by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 4, 2026