Dear Friends,

I am looking for an example for “subverting dominant paradigm” other than the 400 years old example, where heliocentric paradigm overthrown then dominant geocentric paradigm. The 16th century dominant paradigm (i.e. geocentric paradigm) had been evolved for 1800 years until 16th century and accumulated huge BoK (Body of Knowledge) by relying on 2300 old received views (axioms or beliefs).

Each paradigm paints a perception of reality by using large enough BoK (Body of Knowledge) accumulated for the paradigm (e.g. by relying on a set of basic axioms, facts, first principles or received views).

The huge BoK for 16th century dominant paradigm accumulated for 1800 years (by relying on 2300 years old received view “the Earth is static at the centre”) that painted a altered perception of reality (that is now being referred to as geocentric paradigm), which is depicted or illustrated in the FIG-1 at: http://real-software-components.com/more_docs/epicyles_facts.html

The FIG-4 in the above web page illustrates our understanding or perception of reality today (referred to as heliocentric paradigm to distinguish from earlier paradigm), which is supported by the huge BoK mankind accumulated for past 400 years. Today research community accepted without any reservation that the Sun is at the centre.

In this case, subverting a dominant paradigm (e.g. by a new paradigm) imply proving that the earlier dominant paradigm is fundamentally flawed or illusion. For example, each of the countless epicycles and retrograde motions of the 16th century dominant paradigm were merely illusions as illustrated in figures FIG-2 & FIG-3.

It is now proven beyond any reasonable doubt that the pieces of knowledge in the BoK for geocentric paradigm were merely illusions, because they were created by relying on flawed received view (i.e. the Earth is static at the centre). In other words, the huge BoK accumulated for 1800 years was proven to be false or invalidated.

Hence, a paradigm can become a dominant paradigm only when the paradigm accumulates huge BoK comprising of many pieces of knowledge for painting a perception of reality, where each of the pieces of knowledge in the BoK consistent with other pieces of the knowledge in the BoK, which together paints the overall perception of the reality of the dominant paradigm.

When I searched for examples for “Subverting Dominant Paradigm”, I could not find any right example but I found many wrong examples such as this: https://www.quora.com/What-does-it-mean-to-subvert-the-dominant-paradigm?utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google_rich_qa&utm_campaign=google_rich_qa

The above webpage says: For example, the “Positive Psychology movement” changed the old view of psychology being only there for treating mental illness (= dominant paradigm), to a paradigm in which psychology was used to make everyone’s life better, peaceful or more fulfilling.

What paradigm “Positive Psychology movement” subverted. We are still using Psychology for treating mental illness. The initiator of the movement, Martin Seligman found another way of using (or another use for) Psychology, but the BoK existed for Psychology to treat mental illness was not invalidated by proving it to be fundamentally flawed. No one said that, it is wrong to use Psychology to treat mental illness. So there is no contradiction or conflict with the older paradigm.

Therefore, a new paradigm can be created without invalidating an existing paradigm. This kind of thing (“Positive Psychology movement”) is not an example for “subverting a dominant paradigm”, because no paradigm was subverted. A new paradigm for accumulating BoK for a new unexplored area was added, which together expanded the discipline of Psychology.

The BoK for both paradigms are still being expanded individually in respective areas and/or together, where BoK for each paradigm is being used for addressing different set of issues (and, in fact, there is significant overlapping in the BoKs of the two paradigms).

Subverting imply overthrowing old system of principles or axioms by ushering in new set of basic principles or received views that are in clear contradiction to then dominant old received views (e.g. as communism overthrow Russian monarchy in the 1917 Bolshevik revolution ushering in new set of rules and laws based on new set of basic principles that were in clear contradiction to earlier basic principles that were basis for earlier rules and laws).

If no paradigm is subverted, how can it be called “subverting a dominant paradigm”? Of course, “Positive Psychology movement” opened doors for new previously unexplored dimension, where exploring the new unexplored dimension for accumulating BoK can be considered as creating a new paradigm.

But the new paradigm didn’t subvert the existing paradigm. No one said that, it is wrong to use Psychology to treat mental illness. The new paradigm created new BoK for increasing quality of life (e.g. mental peace or happiness) for people, who are not mentally ill.

Other wrong example for subverting dominant paradigm, I found include: Newtonian paradigm was subverted by Einstein’s general relativity. It is far from Truth. They are purely complimentary paradigms in the process of expanding of our knowledge, for example, into unexplored and previously unknown dimensions.

Einstein’s general relativity didn’t subvert the Newtonian paradigm. No one proved Newton’s discoveries such as universal gravity is an illusion (as the observations of epicycles were proven to be illusions by heliocentric model).

Kepler’s 3-laws explained the planetary orbits very accurately (i.e. extremely close to the objective reality we know today). But he didn’t explain why the planets are moving in such orbits. Newtonian discoveries such as universal gravity and three laws of motion explained why the planets are moving in such orbits.

It is normal part of scientific progress. Mankind makes discoveries or observations. Then scientists discover laws of nature for explaining the discoveries or observations.

Likewise, Newton made discoveries such as universal gravity, which says that there exists a force of attraction between any two bodies having mass. But Newton didn’t explain why there exists a force of attraction between any two bodies having mass.

Einstein’s theory tried to explain why there exists a force of attraction between two bodies having mass. In the process, Einstein opened doors into new previously unknown dimension for expanding our knowledge, where the BoK accumulated in the new previously unknown dimension can be considered as a new paradigm.

Each such discovery of previously unknown dimension answers previously unanswered questions while creating newer unanswered questions. For example, Newton’s discoveries such as universal gravity provided explanation for Kepler’s laws, but created new unanswered questions such as why there is an attraction between bodies having mass.

Einstein’s discoveries say mass can be converted into energy and energy can be converted into mass (these things are experimentally proven to be facts). But we don’t yet know the scientific laws (or laws of nature) that govern such conversions. We don’t know what mass is made of or its internal structure.

Researchers have been struggling to answer such unanswered questions by using theories such as String theory for finding new unknown or unexplored dimensions for finding answers.

This kind of creating BoK for new paradigms are part of normal science. It is not necessary for a new paradigm to subvert an existing paradigm. Hence such new paradigms co-exist and expand in respective dimentions, but do not subvert any existing paradigms.

Subverting a dominant paradigm requires exposing a flawed dominant paradigm, where the BoK for flawed dominant paradigm accumulated for long enough period by relying on fundamentally flawed set of received views (e.g. the Earth is static at the centre).

Any paradigm can become a dominant paradigm, only if has accumulated a huge BoK knowledge for painting a consistent perception of reality. For example, the huge BoK in the 16th century (accumulated for 1800 years) painted a consistent perception of reality, which is now referred to as geocentric paradigm.

Any such dominant paradigm can be and must be subverted, if it’s BoK is accumulated by relying on fundamentally flawed received views or principles such as 2300 years assumption “the Earth is static at the centre”.

I discovered another example of such flawed dominant paradigm that can be and must be subverted: Existing CBD/CBE (Component Based Engineering or Design and Development) for software products has accumulated huge BoK for past 60 years by relying on flawed 60 years old received views such as “parts that are conducive to be reusable are components for CBD/CBE of software products”.

Such received views are clear contradiction to the reality we know in the context of CBD/CBE of countless products we know and use every day such as cars, computers, cell-phones, TVs, ACs, airplanes, office or medical equipment such as printers, MRIs, X-Ray, scanners, machines or machinery for factory to name a few. In this context, no part can be a component, if the part cannot be conducive to be assembled and disassembled.

Today software research community treats such obvious facts about the components (in the context of CBD/CBE of products) are heresy and resorting to personal attacks. Today software researchers feel offended by obvious facts such as reusable parts that can’t be assembled are not components in the context of CBD/CBE of products (as saying the fact that “the Sun is at the centre” infuriated research community in the 16th century).

I am hoping one or more examples for “subverting dominant paradigm” would be helpful in my struggles to subvert the existing flawed dominant paradigm for the CBD/CBE of software products.

I greatly appreciate any such examples, where a flawed dominant paradigm was subverted by exposing flawed BoK filled with pieces of knowledge (that are perceived illusions like epicycles and retrograde motions).

Kindle keep in mind, subverting a dominant paradigm requires replacing or overthrowing the dominant paradigm by invalidating large chunks of BoK accumulated for the subverted paradigm. For example, heliocentric model invalidated flawed geocentric paradigm in 17th century by invalidating large chunks of BoK accumulated for geocentric paradigm.

In the context of scientific and engineering disciplines, a dominant paradigm can be subverted, if and only if, the BoK for the dominant paradigm is accumulated by relying on received views that are flawed.

Best Regards,

Raju

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