Thomas Kuhn (1922–1996)
Thomas S. Kuhn was a groundbreaking American philosopher of science whose work significantly influenced not only the philosophy of science but also the sociology of knowledge and intellectual history. He is best known for his concept of "paradigm shifts," which describes radical changes in the fundamental concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline. His most influential book challenged the traditional view of scientific progress as a steady accumulation of knowledge, instead proposing that science advances through periods of normal science punctuated by revolutionary shifts.