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Community Quote by Thomas Kuhn

“Groups do not have experiences except insofar as all their members do. And there are no experiences... that all the members of a scientific community must share in the course of a [scientific] revolution. Revolutions should be described not in terms of group experience but in terms of the varied…” quote by Thomas Kuhn
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“Groups do not have experiences except insofar as all their members do. And there are no experiences... that all the members of a scientific community must share in the course of a [scientific] revolution. Revolutions should be described not in terms of group experience but in terms of the varied experiences of individual group members. Indeed, that variety itself turns out to play an essential role in the evolution of scientific knowledge.”

Thomas Kuhn

About This Quote

Source Book: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 1962

Scientific progress arises from diverse individual experiences, not a uniform group experience.

In simple terms: Science evolves through varied personal insights.

Key Takeaway

Value individual perspectives in research.

Themes

science philosophy knowledge revolution

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

theoretical educational

When to use this quote

  • research teams
  • academic conferences
  • peer review
  • interdisciplinary projects

Key Concepts

epistemology social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can institutions nurture diverse viewpoints?
  • What mechanisms protect minority ideas?
A Different Perspective

Group consensus may overlook minority insights.

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