Kuhn and Philosophy

In the present chapter, I discuss how Kuhn’s work was received, not by philosophers of science, but by major analytic philosophers. I show, first, that it was ignored or snubbed and passed over in philosophical anthologies or textbooks. Secondly, I discuss how The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, nevertheless, impacted philosophical development. Finally, I offer an explanation of Kuhn’s marginalization in analytic philosophy that goes beyond the prevalent view which says that he was marginalized because he was not a serious philosopher, and was advocating the dangerous doctrines of relativism, irrationalism and anti-realism. I argue that philosophers failed to seriously engage with Kuhn’s work because they were not ready to appreciate its revolutionary character. This is a situation that Kuhn describes in relation to scientific revolutions. Initially, revolutionary ideas seem unintelligible, irrational or wrong and are resisted and cast aside. But, eventually, if they break new ground carrying a promise of success, they catch on. I argue that Kuhn’s philosophy had a similar reception. It was initially resisted, but it eventually succeeded in impacting a great many areas of thought, including analytic philosophy.