EMERGING PARADIGMS: PRIORITY, EXAMPLES AND CONTRIBUTIONS - PHILOSOPHY - 2025

The emerging paradigms are changes or transitions of a paradigm (model) to another, which are given through the revolution and constitute the pattern of development of science and society in general.

A paradigm is a group of concepts, patterns, theories or postulates that represent a contribution to a field of knowledge. The word 'paradigm' comes from two Greek terms 'para', which means 'together' and 'deiknumi', which means 'to show, to point out'; likewise, this term comes from the Greek paradeigma which means "example, sample or pattern."

Originally, the term "paradigm" was used by the Greeks in texts such as Plato's Timaeus to refer to the pattern that the gods followed to create the world.

Emerging paradigms tend to appear due to the presence of variations or anomalies. In this sense, the emerging paradigms give rise to the creation of new theories that are capable of supplanting the preceding theories, at the same time that they propose explanations for the anomalies that generated their appearance.

In this sense, paradigms are transformations that occur when the usual way of thinking or acting changes and is replaced by a new and different way.

Origin of the term «emerging paradigm»

The term "emerging paradigms" was proposed by Thomas Kuhn, physicist, philosopher and historian of science, born in Cincinnati in 1922. He studied physics at Harvard and graduated summa cum laude in 1943; subsequently, he returned to this university and obtained his doctorate in physics in 1949.

Thomas Kuhn

In 1962, he published the book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, in which the term "emerging paradigm" appears for the first time.

The structure of scientific revolutions changed the way of thinking of many scientists and influenced in such a way that today the term «emerging paradigms», originally paradigm shift, is widely known.

For the development of this concept, Thomas Kuhn was inspired by the theories of the psychologist Jean Piaget, who pointed out that the development of children was composed of a series of stages marked by periods of transition.

Phases of science development

According to Kuhn, paradigms are approaches that propose a way forward for the scientific community. Kuhn delves a little deeper into the structure of the sciences and explains that they alternate between two periods: normal and revolutionary.

Normative phase

The normative phase occurs when there is a model that allows the observed reality to be explained. At this point, members of the scientific community share a research framework, a disciplinary matrix, or paradigm.

According to philosopher Ian Hacking, during this phase science does not seek to resolve anomalies that may arise, but rather to "discover what it wants to discover."

The problem is that when many anomalies accumulate, scientists begin to question the paradigm and it is at this time that the crisis period begins in which scientists are willing to test any theory that allows the anomalies to be resolved.

Revolutionary phase

On the other hand, the revolutionary phase occurs when anomalies arise in reality that the pre-established model cannot explain, giving rise to the development of a new one; This is how emerging paradigms are born.

These new paradigms replace the deficient paradigm and, once it is accepted, you return to the normative phase. In this sense, science is a cyclical activity.

Emerging Paradigms and the Social Sciences

It should be noted that for Kuhn, the concept of emerging paradigms excludes the social sciences. In fact, in the preface to his book, the author explains that he developed this term to distinguish between the natural sciences and the social sciences.

Kuhn justifies this position by asserting that within the social sciences there is no consensus regarding the nature of scientific problems and the methods to be used. This is why these sciences could not follow a model or paradigm.

Examples of emerging paradigms

The heliocentric theory constitutes an emerging paradigm since it changed the way of analyzing reality. To begin with, the heliocentric theory of Copernicus explained why the planets seemed to move backwards when their position was studied.

Furthermore, this theory replaced Ptolemy's geocentric theory; es deir, it was accepted that the sun was the center of the system and that the planets, including Earth, revolved around it.

However, Copernicus's theory was not fully developed since this philosopher suggested that the planets moved in cyclical orbits. In this sense, another paradigm arises that replaces that of Copernicus and that states that the planets move in elliptical orbits.

Likewise, Darwin's theory on the evolution of species, natural selection and the survival of the fittest, constitute emerging paradigms.

Emerging paradigms today

Currently, emerging paradigms are part of all aspects of society, not just the natural sciences, as Thomas Kuhn had initially proposed.

There are paradigms in the business world, in the social sciences or in culture, among others. For example, in the social sciences, specifically in linguistics, there is the paradigm of postpositivism.

In this regard, Robert Rulford wrote in a column for The Globe and Mail that the paradigms do not stop in a single area of ​​knowledge, but move from science to culture, from culture to sports and from sports to business.

Impediments to emerging paradigms

The greatest impediment to the development of emergent paradigms is the "paralysis of a paradigm." This term refers to the rejection of new models of analysis of reality, adhering to the current models even if they are not capable of explaining the anomalies. An example of this was the initial rejection of Copernicus's heliocentric theory.

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