Biology Quote by Thomas Kuhn
“We may... have to relinquish the notion, explicit or implicit, that changes of paradigm carry scientists and those who learn from them closer and closer to the truth... The developmental process described in this essay has been a process of evolution from primitive beginnings-a process whose successive stages are characterized by an increasingly detailed and refined understanding of nature. But nothing that has been or will be said makes it a process of evolution toward anything.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 1962
Scientific progress is not a steady march toward truth but a series of paradigm shifts that reshape understanding without guaranteeing closer proximity to truth.
In simple terms: Science changes ideas, not necessarily getting closer to truth.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about linear progress.
Themes
science
paradigm shifts
philosophy of knowledge
Mood
thoughtful
critical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
reflective
When to use this quote
- research funding decisions
- educational curricula
- policy making
- public communication of science
Key Concepts
epistemology
historical development
relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do paradigm shifts affect societal trust in science?
- Can progress be measured without a fixed truth?
A Different Perspective
Paradigm shifts can be disruptive and may obscure practical applications.
![“Movement implies development and not evolution (C.F.D. Moule)." ~R. Alan Woods [2013]” quote by R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b92/r-alan-woods-1455_biology_movement-implies-development-and-not-evo_3037564.jpg)
