Thomas Kuhn was a physicist who earned his PhD from Harvard University in 1949. Upon completion of his education, he was recognized as a member of the University’s Elite Society of Fellows. Required to teach General Science courses at Harvard, he underwent an exploration of old scientific knowledge through his teachings of historical case studies. From this trip back in time, Kuhn was able to understand the framework from which many early scientists worked from. In particular, the studies he did on Aristotle make him rethink the way science is perceived in a set time period. Kuhn later concluded “To understand scientific development one must understand the intellectual frameworks within which scientists work”.

 

In 1962, Kuhn wrote the book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions where he compiled all his newfound beliefs.  In his book he coined the term paradigm and paradigm shift, and created a cycle  which outlines a 4 step process showing the transition and adaption of new paradigms over time.