Paradigms and “paradigm shifts” refer to occasional discontinuous, revolutionary changes in tacitly shared points of view and preconceptions of science that serve as the building blocks for scientific thought. In many instances, paradigms build on the discoveries and thought processes of the past and help to ensure a cumulative build-up of knowledge that serves to form the scientific community. The history of economic thought has recently begun to incorporate the concept of the paradigm and paradigm shift into its own philosophies, as analyzed by Thomas Kuhn in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.
