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A way to compare paradigms

 
 
Reply Tue 9 Mar, 2010 01:41 pm
The common popular reason for why Kuhn` s normal science paradigm, and the revolutionary paradigm could not be compared is that there are no share meaning in terms of the respective theoreitical terms of the theory.
E.g: Mass is independent of velocity in newton theory, while mass is dependent on velocity in relativistic mechanics.

There is perhaps a solution. So, the claim is that primitive terms means different things in both paradigm, but what is "meaning". Using Frege` s theory, a primitive term has a sense, and a reference. For the primitive terms of both theory, it seems if we could fixes the reference of their respective term in both theory, then we have a way to go. If there are terms that fail to refer, then all bets are off. How do we do that? By using the causal theory of meaning. That is, the reference of a token figure in a historical line of descend that refers back to the original referent. E.g. oxygen, and phlogiston refers to the same thing.
What do we do for the sense of the theoritical term? well, we could construct a set for each term that refers. This set would be the sense in the way the each element in this set corresponds to a situation of how the pimitive term is used.

E.g:

For theory T, and T*, and term 'X' on both theories.

If 'X' has the same referent for T, and T*. Denote this by:

Referent( 'x', T) = Referent( 'x', T*)

If the above is established, then we can start to enumerate the sense of how 'X' is used in T, and T*.

E.g:

sense( 'x', T) ={ A, B, C}

sense('x', T*)={E, F, G, H}


conclusion:

When we compare theories, it is best to find a primitive term in both theory that share a common referent by using the causal theory of meaning. Onces, we have this primitive term, then we can start to enumerate the different usage of the term in the different theory.
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