John Worrall Anti-Realism: Thomas Kuhn

John Worrall is a philosopher known for his work on the nature of scientific theories and the debate between realism and anti-realism. Scientific realism holds that theories accurately describe the world and its unobservable aspects, like electrons. In contrast, anti-realism, influenced by thinkers like Thomas Kuhn, argues that our understanding of science is shaped by paradigms—frameworks that guide research. Kuhn suggested scientific progress is not linear but involves shifts in perspective (paradigm shifts), leading to questioning whether theories represent reality or simply serve as tools for organizing experiences. Worrall contributes to this dialogue by exploring the implications for how we view scientific knowledge.