Kuhn — The Conservative and Radical Interpretations: Are Some Mertonians `Kuhnians' and Some Kuhnians `Mertonians'?

Abstract

Continuing our occasional series of `Historic Papers', inaugurated in the February 1996 issue, we are reprinting here a paper by Trevor Pinch, originally published in the 4S Newsletter, Vol.7, No.1 (Spring 1982), 10-25. It was not widely noticed at the time, and is now difficult to locate. In the shadow of our tributes to Thomas Kuhn, we thought it appropriate to resurrect it. As is our custom, we are reprinting it in its original form. We have asked Trevor to add a brief `Epilogue'. Otherwise, what follows is essentially what readers read in 1982.