Implications of Incommensurability

PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1982:689 - 703 (1982)
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Abstract

It is argued that if Kuhn's current attempt to characterize conceptual incommensurability is correct, then the phenomenon of conceptual incommensurability is epistemologically innocuous. The first part of the paper explains why available techniques of reference specification provide rival scientists with sufficient access to one another's languages to compare their views. The second half of the paper attempts to elaborate an account of conceptual incommensurability that will develop (what the author takes to be) Kuhn's fundamental insight.

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Philip Kitcher
Columbia University

Citations of this work

The Incommensurability Thesis.Howard Sankey - 1994 - Abingdon: Taylor and Francis.
Experiential Explanation.Sara Aronowitz & Tania Lombrozo - 2020 - Topics in Cognitive Science 12 (4):1321-1336.
Translation failure between theories.Howard Sankey - 1991 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 22 (2):223-236.
Translation Failure Between Theories.Howard Sankey - 1991 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 22 (2):223-236.

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