Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4hhp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-08T04:34:13.212Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 6 - Kuhn and the Varieties of Incommensurability

from Part II - Three Core Concepts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2021

K. Brad Wray
Affiliation:
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
Get access

Summary

I examine the variety of Kuhn’s notions of incommensurability, including methodological, semantic and observational incommensurability as found in the Structure of Scientific Revolutions, and local incommensurability as found in later publications. I argue that through these various presentations, Kuhn establishes reasons to criticize and reject the correspondence theory of truth that is predicated on a mind-independent world. I show that under both observational incommensurability and local incommensurability, Kuhn provides reasons to criticize the epistemic assumptions in truth as correspondence. I maintain that for both semantic incommensurability and local incommensurability, Kuhn assumes the conception of language as the universal medium. I contend that this view of language, together with Kuhn’s rejection of a neutral language, provides reasons to challenge the linguistic assumptions behind the correspondence theory. I suggest that, given the challenges his thesis of incommensurability raises against truth as correspondence, Kuhn rejects the correspondence theory and instead considers alternative theories of truth.

Type
Chapter
Information
Interpreting Kuhn
Critical Essays
, pp. 105 - 124
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×