Conceptual Revolutions

Paul Thagard's 'Conceptual Revolutions' analyzes historical cases of major scientific change to show how new conceptual schemes replace older ones.

He argues that shifts such as Copernican astronomy, Darwinian evolution, and plate tectonics involve reclassification and the construction of new explanatory frameworks.

Thagard develops computational models to compare explanatory coherence between competing theories and defends a rationalist account of scientific change that incorporates empirical evidence.

The book bridges philosophy, cognitive science, and history of science to offer a nuanced account of theory change.

It advances a middle path between strict empiricism and radical relativism by emphasizing explanatory coherence as a rational criterion.