How Does Paradigm Respond To Crises?

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Anomalies which are not solved by Normal Science lead to research and ultimately to new theories. Such new theory can be a result of discrepancy between the earlier observed data and fact or changes in socio-cultural climate. But paradigms are both obdurate and resilient. The very nature of paradigm is accommodative. It is not very rigid .But it does not accommodate a new theory immediately. First it resists. It resists till it is confirmed by all means that the new theory offers a better correlation between theory and reality. When once such confirmation is reached, the paradigm enlarges its scope and accommodates the new theory and becomes more expansive. The paradigm does not vanish to be totally replaced by the new theory but it only adopts the new theory. The paradigm’s response to crises consists of stubbornness as well as accommodation.

The service of paradigm to growth of scientific inventions can be appreciated from the fact that for its stubborn opposition, scientific discoveries without much of proof would find a way to acceptance. In return, paradigm benefits by the new data and finding of new theories ...
... to update itself.

When faced with crises, paradigms find an unusual ally in scientists. Immediately on the finding of an anomaly or the uprising of a crisis, the scientists do not renounce paradigms. They study the anomaly thoroughly and verify if it can be solved by a better application of paradigm or normal science before bowing out.

Regarding steadfast advance of the scientific community to the existing paradigm, Kuhn takes examples from history of Science. For instance, sometime in the history of chemistry, some scientists wanted to venture into exploration of the concept of atomism. It was observed during that period that many substances have a tendency to decompose into constituent elements when heated and the constituent elements when combined used to mix in preset proportions to form a compound. A combination of water and alcohol was then considered a compound because it was not easily separable into water and alcohol and separation could be achieved only on heating like any other compound. There was no reason then for scientists to have any doubt regarding the qualification of the combination to be a compound.

The outcome of the crisis arising out of paradigm’s conflict with an anomaly can reach three types of conclusions.

(1.) The paradigm is able to solve the anomaly and subdues it.

(2.) In the face of stiff resistance from anomaly the inability of normal science and paradigm is perceived as the inability arising due non-availability of tools required for solving the problem and thus leaving the anomaly for future generations to solve it with improved tools., and

(3.) The third is the absolute surrender of the existing surrender to the new theory and replacement of the old paradigm with the new theory. It may however be remembered that eschewing an existing paradigm is not that easy. An existing paradigm cannot be thrown away just because it is not in consonance with nature. A new paradigm should come into existence to throw out the old one. This is because a paradigm is an inevitable requirement for scientific research. A new paradigm is thus born.

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