The Skunk River Review - DMACC

performed in support of them are formulated”; or more broadly ⎯ “a philosophical or theoretical
framework of any kind” (“Paradigm”). What makes paradigms so important? How can
understanding paradigms unlock the door to a brighter future? The answers to these questions
could be the key to reshaping our future.
In 1962, Thomas Kuhn first wrote about paradigms in his book entitled The Structure of
Scientific Revolutions. Kuhn, a philosopher of science, received his doctorate in history of science
at Harvard University in 1949. He went on to teach at Harvard, the University of California, and
Princeton University. Kuhn was widely acclaimed for the paradigm concept as it related to
scientific study and discovery (“Kuhn, Thomas”). He defined paradigms, within the scientific
context, as scientific accomplishments that had two distinctive components. The first component
was that the accomplishment was notable enough to draw other scientists away from a prevailing
school of scientific thought. The second component was that the feat was nebulous enough that it
left many unanswered questions for those drawn to it to work on (Kuhn 10).
One paradigm that Thomas Kuhn references repeatedly in his book is that of Copernicus’
advancement of the concept that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the universe (68).
Copernicus, a Polish astronomer during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, found errors in the
prevailing Ptolemaic astronomical system (earth-centered galaxy) and through further research
discovered a previously ignored minority decision that put the sun, not the earth, as the center of
the universe. The prevailing scholars and scientists of that time were entrenched in the belief that
the earth was stationary, while the sun, moon, stars, and planets moved above and around the
earth. In that day, contradicting the accepted position of the time could mean rejection,
punishment, and ultimately death. Fearing this backlash, Copernicus was very patient and
protective about getting his idea out. In fact, his heliocentric (sun-centered) view of the universe
was not published until the time of his death in 1543. Though his views eventually won out, those
who followed Copernicus’ teachings faced the wrath of the established scientific community
(Rosen).
While Kuhn’s understanding of paradigms focuses on the scientific arena, Joel Barker
views paradigms in a much broader context. Barker, who wrote Paradigms ⎯ The Business of
Discovering the Future in 1992, sees paradigms impacting every phase of people’s lives (38). Joel
Barker provides a simplified definition of paradigms: “A paradigm is a set of rules and regulations
(written or unwritten) that does two things: (1) it establishes or defines boundaries; and (2) it tells
you how to behave inside the boundaries in order to be successful” (32).
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