Description
Cells as we know them today were discovered in the 1600s by Robert Hooke. A couple hundred years later, scientists came to a final conclusion about how cells arose. The theory of spontaneous generation of life was abandoned in favor of cell theory, the idea that all cells come from preexisting cells. Louis Pasteur was an important thinker and experimentalist in this transition. Furthermore, the implications of this transition were far reaching and can even be seen today with the constant use of HeLa cells in scientific research. But what would Thomas Kuhn, philosopher of science, have to say about this transition? Does this transition fit into his conception of a paradigm shift? Does the transition alter the scientific imagination in such a way as to transform the world of scientists and alter the cultural perspective? If Kuhn was still around, he definitely would agree that this transition meets all his requirements for an effective paradigm change.
Publisher
Providence College
Date
Spring 2013
Type
Article
Language
English
