Was Thomas Kuhn a relativist? A postmodernist?

Part 4 of Errol Morris' series of long columns about his intellectual relationship with the philosopher of science is the best yet.

He indicates Kuhn seems to be strongly influenced by the later Wittgenstein, but that he goes beyond even that:

Why stop at historical relativism? Why not imagine each and every person in a different island universe? And indeed, Kuhn at least in one instance seems to embrace that possibility. In one particularly bizarre passage in “The Road Since Structure,” he suggests that his critics are writing about two different Thomas Kuhns – Kuhn No. 1 and Kuhn No. 2. ...

To me Kuhn’s claim – that there are two Thomas Kuhns plus two books by the same name and author – suggests that there may be no coherent reading of Kuhn’s philosophy.

Weird indeed.

Given the ashtray incident and other things, I think we have to seriously look at treating Kuhn as a semi-guru, and a pre-postmodernist.

After all, when his "paradigm shift" idea went big in New Age circles, Kuhn had chances to object, and didn't.

And, along with this analysis, we have stop treating him so seriously in general.

Anyway, click the link up top, and read the three previous essays. They're great.