Kuhn's account of rationality in scientific revolutions
The paper will contend that scientific revolutions are irrational because science is irrational. As will be demonstrated by Kuhn and other authors, there is no specific logic as to why some theories and paradigms become popular and other do not. To paraphrase Kuhn, often whoever presented the better argument rather than whoever had the superior argument was the one that became popular and supported. In addition, Kuhn sums up the nature of scientific theories, popular or not, in that all scientific theories are empirically successful, but ultimately proven false. Thus, the nature of scientific theory is irrational and the rise of popular theories is irrational. How would scientific revolutions not be irrational also? The paper supports and proposes that Kuhn's views are that scientific revolutions are partially irrational in nature; they are necessary to scientific developments; and scientific revolutions like all revolutions, have political, economic, and cultural implications. Change and revolution are radical and often spring from emotional, psychological or ethical conflicts of interest; when it comes to human emotions, psychology, and ethics, rationality often takes a backseat to irrationality. The paper supplies Kuhn's reasons to think that shifts in scientific revolutions are not wholly rational and that Kuhn's reasoning effectively demonstrates that shifts in scientific thought violate codes of rationality.
Roles, Duties, and Influence of Buffalo Soldiers
A brief analysis of the historical significance of the Buffalo Soldiers. In this paper, the origins of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st--later the 24th and 25th--Infantry Regiments is outlined. Also outlined are the major duties of these regiments, both in the military and as a peacekeeping organization on the Western frontier.