Meaning Changes

Thomas Kuhn with his classic The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is one of the most influential and widely read philosophers of the 20th century. Kuhns claim that the meanings of scientific terms change is often taken to be refuted by recent advances in the philosophy of language. Meaning Changes challenges this interpretation showing that meaning change in Kuhn has multiple aspects: Semantic, mental and historical. The author describes the traditional view with clarity, but demonstrates that Kuhns idea stems from his studies of history. The book explains how Kuhns philosophy is supported by cognitive science and why meaning change is relevant to the history of ideas. It argues that Kuhns case against Hilary Putnams causal theory of reference constitutes serious criticism of the account. The book concludes by analysing Kuhns historical perspective in the coherentist epistemological framework, which regards the question of scientific progress ultimately as empirical. This book will be of particular interest to students and scholars of the history and philosophy of science. It also is valuable reading to anybody interested in philosophy or scientific change.