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Between paradigms

Debates between paradigms display:

• Chronic debate over fundamentals. (Kuhn, 48)
• Disagreement about both problems and solutions (Kuhn,109)
• “The proponents of competing paradigms are always at least slightly at cross purposes. Neither side will grant all the non-empirical assumptions that the other needs in order to make its case… The competition between paradigms is not the sort of battle that can be resolved through proofs.” (Kuhn, 148)

This is why I emphasize that readers should not treat these passages as proof texts, able to control the outcome of a debate with those operating in another paradigm. Anyone can simply shrug and say, “So what?” Once we appreciate better how and why we lack the power to compel belief, we can move on to understand what can invite and persuade belief.