Technology vs. science

the cognitive fallacy

M. R. Di Nucci Pearce

David Pearce

pp. 405-419

in: Synthese 81 (3), 1989.

Abstract

There are fundamental differences between the explanation of scientific change and the explanation of technological change. The differences arise from fundamental differences between scientific and technological knowledge and basic disanalogies between technological advance and scientific progress. Given the influence of economic markets and industrial and institutional structures on the development of technology, it is more plausible to regard technological change as a continuous and incremental process, rather than as a process of Kuhnian crises and revolutions.