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(2015) Kuhn's structure of scientific revolutions, Dordrecht, Springer.
In this chapter, I evaluate the thorny issue as to whether Thomas Kuhn's view supports a form of realism or relativism. I consider two prominent realist readings of Kuhn, offered respectively by Hoyningen-Huene and Giere, and some of the challenges each of them faces. I offer then a reading of Kuhn's contentious claim about "working in a new world" in terms of what I call naturalized Kantian kinds. I show how this reading can escape some of the challenges and deliver a mild form of realism.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-13383-6_10
Full citation:
Massimi, M. (2015)., Walking the line: Kuhn between realism and relativism, in W. J. Devlin & A. Bokulich (eds.), Kuhn's structure of scientific revolutions, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 135-152.