Michael Polanyi

Michael Polanyi was a Hungarian-British philosopher and chemist who contributed to our understanding of how scientific knowledge evolves. He argued that scientific progress is not just about empirical data but also involves personal intuition and tacit knowledge—the unwritten skills and insights scientists develop. Polanyi introduced the idea of paradigms, suggesting that science operates within frameworks that shape how researchers interpret data and develop theories. His work emphasizes that scientific theories undergo gradual changes rather than abrupt shifts, highlighting the complexities and subjective elements inherent in scientific discovery and the advancement of knowledge.