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Thomas Kuhn, Hyperbole, and the Ashtray: Evidence of Morris’ Faulty Memory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 April 2022

K. Brad Wray
K. Brad Wray*
Affiliation:
Centre for Science Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
*
Email: kbwray@css.au.dk
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Abstract

Errol Morris has claimed that Kuhn threw an ashtray at him during a dispute about some matter in the history of science. Morris also claims that Kuhn threw him out of the graduate program at Princeton for disagreeing with him. I argue that Morris’s attack on Kuhn contains some degree of hyperbole. Further, I present evidence that shows that Morris is mistaken about key events during this period. In fact, Kuhn was supportive of Morris in his pursuit of a career in the history of science.

Type
Discussion Note
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 90 , Issue 1 , January 2023 , pp. 196 - 199
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Philosophy of Science Association

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References

References

Kuhn, Sarah, 2011. “Steer clear of fact checkers, Mr. Morris.” Opinionator (March 8, 2011). Accessed May 5, 2021. https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/the-ashtray-the-ultimatum-part-1/.Google Scholar
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Wray, K. Brad. 2018. “Thomas Kuhn and the T. S. Kuhn Archives at MIT.” OUPBlog, May 27, 2018. Accessed November 9, 2021. https://blog.oup.com/2018/05/thomas-kuhn-archives-mit/.Google Scholar

Archival sources

Kuhn, Thomas S. Paper, MC240. Institute Archives and Special Collections, MIT Libraries, Cambridge, MA.Google Scholar