Theory of Paradigm Dispute

The analysis of the incommensurable arguments that occur when proponents of different paradigms literally talk past each other. Because paradigms define terms, methods, and standards of proof differently, there is no neutral court of appeal. A dispute between paradigms is less a debate and more a cross-cultural dialogue of the deaf, where each side sees the other as fundamentally irrational or blind.

Theory of Paradigm Dispute Example: A paradigm dispute in economics: A Neoclassical economist (paradigm: markets are efficient) and a Keynesian economist (paradigm: markets fail and need intervention) argue about a recession. They use the same words ("demand," "equilibrium") but mean totally different things. Their evidence and models are built on incompatible axioms. The dispute often devolves into accusing the other of "not understanding basic economics"—their own paradigm's basics.

Theory of Paradigm Dispute by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 6, 2026

Theory of the Dispute of Scientific Paradigms

The study of the often messy, protracted, and illogical battles that occur when two competing scientific paradigms vie for dominance within a field. According to Kuhn, these disputes cannot be settled by mere evidence alone, because the paradigms define what counts as evidence and what constitutes a good argument. The fight is as much about persuasion, authority, generational change, and control of institutions as it is about data.

Theory of the Dispute of Scientific Paradigms Example: The decades-long war between Plate Tectonics and the older Geosynclinal Theory in geology was a brutal Dispute of Scientific Paradigms. Established geologists invested in the old model mocked continental drift as fantasy, while young Turks amassed magnetic striping data. The shift only happened when the old guard retired and textbooks were rewritten.

Theory of the Dispute of Scientific Paradigms by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 4, 2026