Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity, 1894–1912

Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity, 1894–1912
	Cover of the first edition
Author	Thomas S. Kuhn
Language	English
Subject	Quantum mechanics
Published	1978 (Oxford University Press, first edition); 1987 (University of Chicago Press, second edition);
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	356
ISBN	0-19-520091-8 (first edition); 0-226-45800-8 (second edition)

Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity, 1894–1912 (1978; second edition 1987) is a book by the philosopher Thomas Kuhn, in which the author surveys the development of quantum mechanics. The second edition has a new afterword.^[1]

Summary

Kuhn surveys the development of quantum mechanics by Max Planck at the end of the 19th century.^[2] He argues that Planck misread his own earlier work.^[1]

Reception

Alexander Bird describes Kuhn's book as "masterly", writing that it "differs from traditional history of science less in the kind of explanation offered and more in the vast erudition and scholarly attention to detail displayed."^[1]

According to philosopher Tim Maudlin, Planck and the Black Body Discontinuity (sic) "is a mixed bag: some good historiography and some poor analysis."^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Bird, Alexander (2000). Thomas Kuhn. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 1, 215, 281, 299. ISBN 0-691-05710-9.
^ Kuhn, Thomas S. (2012). Hacking, Ian (ed.). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 50th anniversary edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. pp. vii, viii. ISBN 978-0-226-45812-0.
^ Horgan, John. "Philosophy Has Made Plenty of Progress: Philosopher Tim Maudlin sees advances in free will, morality and the meaning of quantum mechanics". Scientific American Blog Network. Retrieved 2023-01-01.

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[Bird-1] Bird, Alexander (2000). Thomas Kuhn. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. pp. 1, 215, 281, 299. ISBN 0-691-05710-9.

[Hacking-2] Kuhn, Thomas S. (2012). Hacking, Ian (ed.). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 50th anniversary edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. pp. vii, viii. ISBN 978-0-226-45812-0.

[3] Horgan, John. "Philosophy Has Made Plenty of Progress: Philosopher Tim Maudlin sees advances in free will, morality and the meaning of quantum mechanics". Scientific American Blog Network. Retrieved 2023-01-01.

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