Read the following passage and answer the questions.


Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions presented a radical challenge to the traditional inductivist view of scientific progress as a linear, cumulative accumulation of facts. Kuhn argued that science develops through discontinuous "paradigm shifts." A "paradigm" is more than just a theory; it is a constellation of beliefs, values, and techniques that defines a scientific community's entire worldview. During "normal science," researchers work within this paradigm, solving puzzles that the paradigm permits. Inevitably, however, "anomalies" (problems the paradigm cannot solve) accumulate. This triggers a "crisis," leading to a period of revolutionary science where rival paradigms compete. Crucially, Kuhn argued that these competing paradigms are "incommensurable"—they lack a common measure because they define the world and the very criteria for evidence differently. Thus, the shift from one paradigm to another (e.g., from Ptolemaic to Copernican astronomy) is not a purely logical step, but a gestalt switch, akin to a religious conversion.


1. What is the central thesis of Kuhn's argument, as presented in the passage?

(1) Scientific progress is a steady, linear accumulation of objective facts. (2) Science evolves through revolutionary breaks in worldview, where new paradigms are logically incompatible with old ones. (3) Scientific "anomalies" are minor problems that are always eventually solved by the dominant paradigm. (4) "Normal science" is the most important and productive phase of scientific development.



2. The term "incommensurable" is used to imply that...

(1) one paradigm is demonstrably false, and the other is demonstrably true. (2) rival paradigms cannot be directly compared using a neutral, shared standard of logic or evidence. (3) scientists from different paradigms can easily resolve their differences through logical debate. (4) the new paradigm is merely a more complex version of the old paradigm.



3. According to the passage, what is the role of "anomalies"?

(1) They are the "puzzles" that scientists solve during "normal science." (2) They are the triggers that destabilize an existing paradigm and necessitate a scientific revolution. (3) They are evidence that the scientific method is fundamentally flawed. (4) They are the shared values and beliefs that hold a paradigm together.



4. The passage compares a paradigm shift to a "gestalt switch" or "religious conversion" to emphasize that the change is...

(1) a minor adjustment to an existing theory. (2) a decision based on accumulating objective, quantifiable proof. (3) a sudden, holistic change in perception that is not justified by logic alone. (4) a long, gradual process of consensus-building within a single community.



5. What can be inferred about the "traditional inductivist view" of science mentioned in the first sentence?

(1) It would view the shift from Ptolemaic to Copernican astronomy as a revolutionary break. (2) It would consider "normal science" to be an unproductive waste of time. (3) It would deny the existence of "paradigms" altogether. (4) It would interpret the history of science as a continuous process of adding more and more true facts to a single, growing pile.





댓글 정답