Orientador: Alberto Villani / Banca: Roberto Nardi / Banca: Elisabeth Barolli / Banca: Jorge Megid Neto / Banca: Sonia Maria Dion / Resumo: A institucionalização da pesquisa sobre Ensino de Ciências (EC) teve início no Brasil no final da década de 1960 e apenas recentemente, no ano 2000, foi reconhecida como área pela Capes. Durante esse tempo, tivemos a produção de vários trabalhos que buscaram analisar sua história, descrevendo os fatores determinantes de sua constituição e sustentação. Em nossa pesquisa resgatamos alguns desses trabalhos, focando o olhar sobre os aspectos subjetivos que contribuíram para seu desenvolvimento. Elegemos como referências os trabalhos de Nardi (2005) e Villani, Pacca e Freitas (2002), bem como alguns conceitos psicanalíticos desenvolvidos por René Kaes sobre a vida psíquica de grupos e instituições. Esses elementos permitiram interpretar os eventos que marcaram a história da área de EC, considerando que todo grupo se constitui, se organiza e evolui de acordo com a configuração que reveste o sistema de representação de seus membros, da tarefa proposta, do grupo em si mesmo e do contexto social. Após identificarmos os quatro momentos organizadores no desenvolvimento dos vínculos intersubjetivos estabelecidos na instituição - o Momento Originário, o Primeiro, o Segundo e o Terceiro Organizador Grupal - buscamos pelos intermediários que marcaram os intercâmbios, os lugares, as atribuições, a atividade representacional e os afetos. Reconhecemos na História e Filosofia da Ciência (HFC) intermediários fundamentais em cada fase do desenvolvimento da área e buscamos elementos para entender melhos os papéis desempenhados pela HFC na pesquisa, principalmente, suas contribuições para a fundação e sustentação da área. Para obtermos informações com potencial mais subjetivo fizemos entrevistas com pesquisadores da área, cujas produções científicas revelaram aproximação com a HFC. A nossa interpretação avançou quando integramos um novo conceito no suporte... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The establishment of research into Science Education began in Brazil in the end of the decade of the 1960's and only recently, in the year 2000, was it recognized as a field by Capes. During this time, many works tried to analyse its history, describing the determinant factors of its constitution and upholding. In our research we look back on some of these works, focusing on subjective aspects that contributed to its development. We chose as reference the works of Nardi (2005) and Villani, Pacca & Freitas (2002), and some other psychoanalytic concepts developed by René Kaes referring to psychic life of group and institutions. These elements allowed us to interpret the events that highlighted the history in the field of Science Education, taking into consideration that any groups is made up of, organizes itself and develops itself according to the configuration that overlays the representation system of its members, of the task proposed, the group itself and the social context. After we were able to identify the four organizational moments in the development of the intersubjective links existing in an institution which are - the arising moment, the first, the second and the third group organizer, we searched for the intermediates that highlighted the interchanges, the places, the attributions, the representational activities and the affection. One can recognize in the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) the fundamental intermediary in each developing phase of the field and search for elements to better understand the roles played by the HPS in research, especially its contributions to the foundation and establishment in the field. To obtain more potential and subjective information, many researchers in this field were interviewed whose scientific works showed some proximity with the HPS. Our interpretation took a head start when we integrated a new concept to support... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

nÃo hà / Esta dissertaÃÃo à uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, que teve como objetivo caracterizar e analisar a utilizaÃÃo, por professores do Ensino Fundamental, da HistÃria e Filosofia da CiÃncia, HFC, para a contextualizaÃÃo das discussÃes sobre o conhecimento cientÃfico e como estratÃgia didÃtica no ensino e aprendizagem das CiÃncias Naturais. Teve-se, entÃo, a intenÃÃo de investigar as visÃes de professores de disciplinas cientÃficas acerca da utilizaÃÃo da HistÃria e Filosofia da CiÃncia em salas de aulas do Ensino Fundamental como facilitadora para a compreensÃo de conceitos, dos modelos e das teorias cientÃficas. A pesquisa foi realizada em uma escola privada, com professores da 6 à 9 sÃrie do Ensino Fundamental. A metodologia escolhida foi o estudo de caso e as tÃcnicas utilizadas foram o grupo focal com seis professores de CiÃncias e Biologia, com experiÃncia de no mÃnimo dois anos na docÃncia do Ensino de CiÃncias; a entrevista semiestruturada, realizada com duas professoras participantes do grupo focal e a anÃlise documental, que investigou o Projeto PolÃtico PedagÃgico e o Regimento Escolar. No estudo foram abordados autores como Matthews, 1994; Reis, 2011; Oliveira, 2000; Martins, 2007; Carvalho, Cachapuz, Gil-PÃrez, 2012; Schnezler (2002); Delizoicov (2012), dentre outros. Os resultados mostram que a HFC nÃo està inserida no Ensino de CiÃncias, nem como contextualizaÃÃo do conteÃdo e nem como estratÃgia didÃtica no Ensino Fundamental; mostra tambÃm que os professores compreendem conceitualmente o valor e a importÃncia de trabalhar com a HFC para um ensino contextualizado, embora nÃo a utilizem. Mostram, ainda, que hà convergÃncia sobre a importÃncia dos cursos de formaÃÃo em preparar os professores para trabalharem nesta abordagem. Considera-se que o conhecimento do professor sobre a HFC e a sua preparaÃÃo para usÃ-la, poderà favorecer a sua inclusÃo no Ensino de CiÃncias. Por fim, neste trabalho considera-se importante que a formaÃÃo inicial e a formaÃÃo continuada tenham um compromisso polÃtico de preparar o professor de ciÃncias para atuar usando a HFC, com uma base de conhecimentos que integrem o conhecimento cientÃfico ao pedagÃgico, considerando a complexidade da aÃÃo educativa.

This dissertation proposes an exploration of a variety of themes in philosophy of science through the lens of a case study in evolutionary biology. It draws from a careful analysis and comparison of the hypotheses from Bill Martin and Tom Cavalier-Smith. These two scientists produced contrasted and competing accounts for one of the main events in the history of life, the origin of eukaryotic cells. This case study feeds four main philosophical themes around which this dissertation is articulated. (1) Theorizing: What kind of theory are hypotheses about unique events in the past? (2) Representation: How do hypotheses about the past represent their target? (3) Evidential claims: What kind of evidence is employed and how do they constrain these hypotheses? (4) Pluralism: What are the benefits and the risks associated with the coexistence of rival hypotheses? This work both seeks to rearticulate traditional debates in philosophy of science in the light of a lesser-known case of scientific practice and to enrich the catalogue of existing case studies in the philosophy of historical sciences.

SOARES, Maria Elba. História e filosofia das ciências na educação científica: percepções e influências formativas. 2013. 120f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza (CE), 2013. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-08-07T16:24:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_mesoares.pdf: 1013339 bytes, checksum: b94b346937341058634845f4493ed230 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-08-07T17:26:39Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_mesoares.pdf: 1013339 bytes, checksum: b94b346937341058634845f4493ed230 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-07T17:26:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_mesoares.pdf: 1013339 bytes, checksum: b94b346937341058634845f4493ed230 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Esta dissertação é uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, que teve como objetivo caracterizar e analisar a utilização, por professores do Ensino Fundamental, da História e Filosofia da Ciência, HFC, para a contextualização das discussões sobre o conhecimento científico e como estratégia didática no ensino e aprendizagem das Ciências Naturais. Teve-se, então, a intenção de investigar as visões de professores de disciplinas científicas acerca da utilização da História e Filosofia da Ciência em salas de aulas do Ensino Fundamental como facilitadora para a compreensão de conceitos, dos modelos e das teorias científicas. A pesquisa foi realizada em uma escola privada, com professores da 6ª à 9ª série do Ensino Fundamental. A metodologia escolhida foi o estudo de caso e as técnicas utilizadas foram o grupo focal com seis professores de Ciências e Biologia, com experiência de no mínimo dois anos na docência do Ensino de Ciências; a entrevista semiestruturada, realizada com duas professoras participantes do grupo focal e a análise documental, que investigou o Projeto Político Pedagógico e o Regimento Escolar. No estudo foram abordados autores como Matthews, 1994; Reis, 2011; Oliveira, 2000; Martins, 2007; Carvalho, Cachapuz, Gil-Pérez, 2012; Schnezler (2002); Delizoicov (2012), dentre outros. Os resultados mostram que a HFC não está inserida no Ensino de Ciências, nem como contextualização do conteúdo e nem como estratégia didática no Ensino Fundamental; mostra também que os professores compreendem conceitualmente o valor e a importância de trabalhar com a HFC para um ensino contextualizado, embora não a utilizem. Mostram, ainda, que há convergência sobre a importância dos cursos de formação em preparar os professores para trabalharem nesta abordagem. Considera-se que o conhecimento do professor sobre a HFC e a sua preparação para usá-la, poderá favorecer a sua inclusão no Ensino de Ciências. Por fim, neste trabalho considera-se importante que a formação inicial e a formação continuada tenham um compromisso político de preparar o professor de ciências para atuar usando a HFC, com uma base de conhecimentos que integrem o conhecimento científico ao pedagógico, considerando a complexidade da ação educativa.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-12-23Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:42:09Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 dias_vs_dr_bauru.pdf: 298740 bytes, checksum: fab291fafe883b3f1e897fedd9507642 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A institucionalização da pesquisa sobre Ensino de Ciências (EC) teve início no Brasil no final da década de 1960 e apenas recentemente, no ano 2000, foi reconhecida como área pela Capes. Durante esse tempo, tivemos a produção de vários trabalhos que buscaram analisar sua história, descrevendo os fatores determinantes de sua constituição e sustentação. Em nossa pesquisa resgatamos alguns desses trabalhos, focando o olhar sobre os aspectos subjetivos que contribuíram para seu desenvolvimento. Elegemos como referências os trabalhos de Nardi (2005) e Villani, Pacca e Freitas (2002), bem como alguns conceitos psicanalíticos desenvolvidos por René Kaes sobre a vida psíquica de grupos e instituições. Esses elementos permitiram interpretar os eventos que marcaram a história da área de EC, considerando que todo grupo se constitui, se organiza e evolui de acordo com a configuração que reveste o sistema de representação de seus membros, da tarefa proposta, do grupo em si mesmo e do contexto social. Após identificarmos os quatro momentos organizadores no desenvolvimento dos vínculos intersubjetivos estabelecidos na instituição - o Momento Originário, o Primeiro, o Segundo e o Terceiro Organizador Grupal - buscamos pelos intermediários que marcaram os intercâmbios, os lugares, as atribuições, a atividade representacional e os afetos. Reconhecemos na História e Filosofia da Ciência (HFC) intermediários fundamentais em cada fase do desenvolvimento da área e buscamos elementos para entender melhos os papéis desempenhados pela HFC na pesquisa, principalmente, suas contribuições para a fundação e sustentação da área. Para obtermos informações com potencial mais subjetivo fizemos entrevistas com pesquisadores da área, cujas produções científicas revelaram aproximação com a HFC. A nossa interpretação avançou quando integramos um novo conceito no suporte... / The establishment of research into Science Education began in Brazil in the end of the decade of the 1960's and only recently, in the year 2000, was it recognized as a field by Capes. During this time, many works tried to analyse its history, describing the determinant factors of its constitution and upholding. In our research we look back on some of these works, focusing on subjective aspects that contributed to its development. We chose as reference the works of Nardi (2005) and Villani, Pacca & Freitas (2002), and some other psychoanalytic concepts developed by René Kaes referring to psychic life of group and institutions. These elements allowed us to interpret the events that highlighted the history in the field of Science Education, taking into consideration that any groups is made up of, organizes itself and develops itself according to the configuration that overlays the representation system of its members, of the task proposed, the group itself and the social context. After we were able to identify the four organizational moments in the development of the intersubjective links existing in an institution which are - the arising moment, the first, the second and the third group organizer, we searched for the intermediates that highlighted the interchanges, the places, the attributions, the representational activities and the affection. One can recognize in the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) the fundamental intermediary in each developing phase of the field and search for elements to better understand the roles played by the HPS in research, especially its contributions to the foundation and establishment in the field. To obtain more potential and subjective information, many researchers in this field were interviewed whose scientific works showed some proximity with the HPS. Our interpretation took a head start when we integrated a new concept to support... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

abstract: Computational tools in the digital humanities often either work on the macro-scale, enabling researchers to analyze huge amounts of data, or on the micro-scale, supporting scholars in the interpretation and analysis of individual documents. The proposed research system that was developed in the context of this dissertation ("Quadriga System") works to bridge these two extremes by offering tools to support close reading and interpretation of texts, while at the same time providing a means for collaboration and data collection that could lead to analyses based on big datasets. In the field of history of science, researchers usually use unstructured data such as texts or images. To computationally analyze such data, it first has to be transformed into a machine-understandable format. The Quadriga System is based on the idea to represent texts as graphs of contextualized triples (or quadruples). Those graphs (or networks) can then be mathematically analyzed and visualized. This dissertation describes two projects that use the Quadriga System for the analysis and exploration of texts and the creation of social networks. Furthermore, a model for digital humanities education is proposed that brings together students from the humanities and computer science in order to develop user-oriented, innovative tools, methods, and infrastructures. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Biology 2014

Submitted by PATRICIA VECCHIO GUARNIERI (patyvecchio@gmail.com) on 2018-04-18T14:55:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 GUARNIERI_PATRICIA VECCHIO_DISSERTAÇÃO_MESTRADO.pdf: 2751143 bytes, checksum: 3d86bc86489c7256da09def8b16e4ae3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Minervina Teixeira Lopes null (vina_lopes@bauru.unesp.br) on 2018-04-18T16:29:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 guarnieri_pv_me_bauru.pdf: 2453862 bytes, checksum: fcf5184e85cba9683360d4ffd418d4b7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-18T16:29:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 guarnieri_pv_me_bauru.pdf: 2453862 bytes, checksum: fcf5184e85cba9683360d4ffd418d4b7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-21 / A aproximação de aspectos de História e a Filosofia da Ciência (HFC) ao ensino vêm sendo discutida como uma abordagem importante para a alfabetização científica, com potencial para proporcionar uma visão mais fundamentada sobre a Natureza da Ciência (NdC), desconstruindo a compreensão de um somatório de verdades absolutas, descobertas por grandes gênios isolados e livres de quaisquer influências. Dessa forma, tais reflexões poderiam possibilitar a humanização da Ciência, o desenvolvimento do pensamento crítico, além de melhorar a compreensão dos conteúdos e a formação do professor. Isto nos remete aos cursos de Licenciatura e às possibilidades formativas que estes vêm proporcionando em relação a esta temática. Assim, esta pesquisa buscou compreender qual o perfil formativo dos quatro cursos de Licenciatura em Química de uma universidade pública do Estado de São Paulo, no que tange a articulação da HFC com ensino. Partimos da análise dos Projetos Pedagógicos dos Cursos (PPCs) e dos planos de ensino das disciplinas específicas sobre HFC. Buscamos ainda investigar os docentes que ministram tal disciplina, a fim de entender como sua formação poderia influenciar em sua prática. Para tanto, realizamos primeiramente uma busca nos currículos Lattes, e posteriormente, uma entrevista semiestruturada, com o intuito de aprofundar as informações e entender como conduzem e organizam a disciplina. Utilizamos como metodologia de análise a Análise de Conteúdo (AC). Com base nas análises realizadas, notamos que os PPCs possuem semelhanças entre si, e também com os documentos governamentais. Contudo, a presença de HFC é muito sucinta, focando apenas nas visões de Ciência que se deseja proporcionar, faltando assim maior apropriação dos resultados de pesquisas da área de Ensino de Ciências sobre essa temática. Todos os cursos apresentam uma disciplina específica sobre HFC, no entanto em um deles ela é considerada como optativa. Os planos de ensino analisados não apresentam uma uniformidade, no que versa sobre a organização da estrutura das disciplinas, porém todos fazem uma abordagem sobre aspectos gerais da HFC, sendo que apenas um indica como conteúdo programático a História da Química. Dois, dos cursos, trazem em seu plano de ensino a proposição de discussões da HFC no ensino. Entretanto, fica evidente que a carga horária da disciplina se torna insuficiente para trabalhar com todos os tópicos. Compreendemos assim, que a efetivação dos temas indicados dependerá da formação do docente responsável pela disciplina. Diante disso, temos quatro perfis distintos de professores, em que dois são formados em Química, sendo que um se aproxima mais da área específica da Química, e dois não são formados em Química, mas estão inseridos na área de Ensino. Dos dois cursos que sugerem no plano de ensino a articulação da HFC com o ensino, apenas um faz tal abordagem. Dessa forma, inferimos que a formação do professor influencia nas escolhas que faz durante a sua prática. Notamos que formação específica em HFC é essencial para ministrar tal disciplina, no entanto não há quantidade suficiente de profissionais para isso havendo sobrecarga de trabalho. Diante de tais constatações, buscamos sugerir algumas orientações que possam auxiliar a organização de uma disciplina de HFC que faça articulações com o ensino. / The oncoming of aspects of History and the Philosophy of Science (HPS) to teaching has been discussed as an important approach to scientific literacy, with potential to develop a more substantiated view on the Nature of Science (NoS) by deconstructing its comprehension as a sum of absolute truths, discovered by great isolated geniuses and free from all influences. In this way, such reflections could enable a humanization of science, a development of critical thinking, and an improvement in the understanding of contents and in the teacher formation. This brings us to the teacher education programs courses and the formation possibilities that these have been providing in relation to this theme. Therefore, this research sought to understand the formative profile of four teacher education programs courses in Chemistry of a public university in the State of São Paulo, regarding the articulation of HPS with teaching. We start from the analysis of the Courses' Pedagogical Projects (PPCs) and the teaching plans of the specific HPS disciplines. We also seek to investigate the professors who teach this subject in order to understand how their formation could influence their practice. Thereunto, we first realized a search in the Lattes curriculum, and then a semi-structured interview with them, in order to deepen the information and understand how they conducts and organizes the discipline. We used the Content Analysis (AC) as the methodology approach. Based on these performed analyzes, we noticed that the PPCs have similarities among each other, and also with the government documents. However, the presence of HPS is very succinct, focusing only on the visions of Science that desires to provide and lacking greater appropriation of the results of Science Teaching researches about this subject. All courses present a specific discipline on HPS, but in one of them it is considered as optional. The teaching plans analyzed do not present a uniformity in what concerns the organization of the disciplines structure, but all of them take an approach on the general aspects of HPS, with only one indicating the History of Chemistry as a programmatic content. Two of the courses have in their teaching plan the proposal of HPS discussions in teaching. However, it is evident that the discipline load becomes insufficient to work with all topics. Therefore, we understand that the effectiveness of this indicated topics will depend on the teaching formation of the professor responsible for the discipline. Giving these facts, we have four distinct profiles of teachers, in which two are trained in Chemistry, one of which is closer to the specific area of Chemistry, and two are not trained in Chemistry, but are inserted in the Teaching area. Of the two courses that suggest in the teaching plan the articulation of HPS with teaching, only one makes this approach. In this way, we infer that the teacher formation influences the choices that they make during their practices. We note that a specific formation in HPS is essential to develop this discipline, however there are not enough professionals for it and there is a work overload. In view of these findings, we seek to suggest some guidelines to help the organization of an HPS discipline that makes articulations with teaching.

This study sets out to reclaim the ontological epistemology of Saint Thomas Aquinas which serves as a unifier of knowledge in being, within the philosophical milieu of being’s forgottenness. Post-Humean and Kantian thought made appearance rather than being solely accessible to the thinking subject. The consequence has been the marginalisation of being as reflected in truth – influenced by scientistic and postmodern paradigms – which has contributed to both the paucity of meaningless metaphysics, and the conceptualisation of science and faith as necessarily opposing categories. To the end of establishing that science and faith have points of intersection, it is argued that the reclamation of Thomist natural philosophy leads to the defence of a clarified form of realism. Establishing the “real” implies that the metaphysical dimensions of the problem of existence can be explored. Within this realist model, the “pre-Modern” Thomistic theory of “scientia” is employed to bring physical and natural science and metaphysics into relationship as components of true knowledge of being. Consequently, the author puts forth that “scientia” is exemplified in, amongst others, the particular science of cosmology since the rudimentary point of engagement between physical and metaphysical science occurs in the act of creation, that is, when being comes into existence. Whilst metaphysics is often disregarded, it is consistently proposed that the causal nature of being demands – by its presence – a more robust account than physical and natural science can offer. The contribution made by this work rests in its ontologically-formed epistemic typology whereby “hard” science and faith are related in boundary areas of knowledge, that is, when metaphysical problems emerge from within physical and natural science. By reimaging “hard” science and reasonable faith within “scientia”, both approaches are conceived as adequating to truth when their content is reflective of being. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Philosophy / DPhil / Unrestricted

<p dir="ltr">The concept of infinity plays a pivotal role in mathematics, yet its precise definition remains elusive. This conceptual ambiguity has given rise to several puzzles in contemporary philosophy of mathematics. In response, this dissertation embarks on a rational reconstruction of Hegels concept of infinity and applies it to resolve two groups of mathematical puzzles, including challenges in applied mathematics, especially the application of differential calculus, and the conceptual ground of set theory, especially Cantors paradox.</p><p dir="ltr">The exploration begins with a historical survey of the concept of infinity in philosophy. It becomes evident that a prevailing interpretation characterizes infinity as the unlimited. In addition, this unlimitedness has taken various forms, including endlessness (Aristotle), all-inclusiveness (Spinoza), and self-sufficiency (Kant).</p><p dir="ltr">The heart of the dissertation lies in reconstructing Hegels concept of genuine infinity. Hegel argues that the unlimited as the negation of the limit entails either the completely indeterminate or another limited entity, neither of which is genuinely infinite. Instead, Hegel points out that genuine infinity is the self-relation of a limited entity. By self-relation, Hegel means that the limited entity alters into another limited entity that is isomorphic to the original one.</p><p dir="ltr">Subsequently, Hegel’s concept of genuine infinity can be translated into a mathematical framework as the intrinsic alteration of quantum (roughly speaking, quantum is Hegel’s term for the variable), which is captured by the corresponding relation among quanta. It is argued that this relation serves as the necessary condition for three mathematical entities traditionally considered infinite: arbitrarily large (small) numbers, infinite sets, and endless sequences. Thus, for Hegel, this intrinsic relation among quanta constitutes the essence of mathematical infinity.</p><p dir="ltr">Hegels concept of mathematical infinity can help us resolve difficulties within contemporary mathematics. First, it addresses the question of why infinite mathematical structures can be applied to describe and predict seemingly finite physical phenomena. The application of mathematics is usually explained by the similarity between mathematical structures and empirical systems, but the lack of apparent empirical counterpart leads one to doubt the application of infinite mathematical structures. Hegels concept of mathematical infinity directs us to focus on the structural similarity between infinite mathematical structures and empirical systems, specifically between the intrinsic alteration of quantum and the change of physical properties with time. With this structural similarity, the application of mathematics can be explained. Second, the dissertation investigates the conceptual ground of set theory, especially the relationship between a set and its members. Hegels analysis of genuine infinity provides a twofold clarification: (1) members of set must be a unit first, which entails that the set of all sets (the Universe) is not a set; (2) members of a set are simultaneously distinct (due to their independent logical content) yet indistinguishable (due to their common structure as a unit). Clarification 1 resolves Cantors paradox as it excludes the Universe; clarification 2 explains arithmetic operations.</p>

Thomas S. Kuhn claimed that the meanings of scientific terms change in theory changes or in scientific revolutions. In philosophy, meaning change has been taken as the source of a group of problems, such as untranslatability, incommensurability, and referential variance. For this reason, the majority of analytic philosophers have sought to deny that there can be meaning change by focusing on developing a theory of reference that would guarantee referential stability. A number of philosophers have also claimed that Kuhn’s view can be explained by the fact that he accepted and further developed many central tenets of logical empiricism. I maintain that the genesis of Kuhn’s meaning theorising lies in his historical approach and that his view of meaning change is justified. Later in his career he attempted to advance a theory of meaning and can be said to have had limited success in it. What is more, recent cognitive science has unexpectedly managed to shed light on Kuhn’s insights on the organisation of information in the mind, concept learning, and concept definition. Furthermore, although Kuhn’s critique of Putnam’s causal theory of reference has often been dismissed as irrelevant, he has a serious point to address. Kuhn thought that the causal theory that works so well with proper names cannot work with scientific terms. He held that conceptual categories are formed by similarity and dissimilarity relations; therefore, several features and not only one single property are needed for determination of extension. In addition, the causal theory requires universal substances as points of reference of scientific terms. Kuhn was a conceptualist, who held that universals do not exist as mind-independent entities and that mind-dependent family resemblance concepts serve the role of universals. Further, at the beginning of his career, Kuhn was interested in the question of what concepts or ideas are and how they change in their historical context. Although he did not develop his theorising on this issue, I demonstrate that this is a genuine problem in the philosophy of history. Finally, Kuhn argued that scientists cannot have access to truth in history because we cannot transcend our historical niche, and as a consequence, the truth of a belief cannot be a reason for theory choice. Instead of truth, we can rely on justification. I also discuss Kuhn’s idea that problem-solving is the main aim of science and show that this view can be incorporated into coherentist epistemology.