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