Worlds, Algorithms, and Niches: The Feedback-Loop Idea in Kuhn’s Philosophy

In this paper, we will analyze the relationships among three important philosophical theses in Kuhn’s thought: the plurality of worlds thesis, the no universal algorithm thesis, and the niche-construction analogy. We will do that by resorting to a hitherto neglected notion employed by Kuhn: the idea of a feedback loop. We will show that this notion captures an important structural aspect of the epistemic dynamics at work in each of the three theses, therefore allowing us to read them as constituting a virtuous epistemic cycle. Finally, we will apply our unified interpretation of the three theses to scientific practice to sketch a novel neo-Kuhnian picture of theory choice.