Perspectivism and Wicked Problems - Patterns in the Discovery Process of Leibniz, Bohr, and Turing

Diaz, Ernesto Angel (2025) Perspectivism and Wicked Problems - Patterns in the Discovery Process of Leibniz, Bohr, and Turing. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

This research investigates fundamental patterns in how transformative scientific knowledge emerges and becomes established, examining three pivotal cases: Leibniz's development of calculus, Bohr's formulation of complementarity, and Turing's conceptualisation of computation and artificial intelligence. The study introduces the o-é-c model (Ouverture Ontologique - Épistémè Socialisante - Connaissance Éclairante) to explain how individual insights become integrated into collective knowledge through structured phases of development. Drawing on Minsky's conception of knowledge as mental models for problem-solving and Longino's social epistemology, the research demonstrates how wicked problems—those that resist formulation within existing frameworks—catalyse the creation of new knowledge domains. The model reveals how transformative frameworks emerge through three distinct phases: initial conceptual breakthrough, social validation and refinement, and systematic integration into established knowledge. Analysis of the historical cases reveals remarkable consistency in how new knowledge frameworks develop, despite vast differences in field and context. Each case demonstrates how periods of social upheaval created conditions conducive to fundamental reconceptualisation, how specific mechanisms of social validation shaped the development of new ideas, and how pedagogical tools proved crucial for knowledge transmission. The thesis makes several original contributions to philosophy of science: it bridges the gap between individual and social accounts of knowledge creation, provides specific mechanisms for how revolutionary insights become established knowledge, and demonstrates the crucial role of pedagogical development in knowledge transmission. The model helps resolve traditional tensions between revolutionary and evolutionary accounts of scientific progress while offering practical insights for addressing contemporary challenges in knowledge creation. Keywords: philosophy of science, epistemology, scientific discovery, knowledge creation, wicked problems, social epistemology, scientific progress, paradigm shifts, scientific revolution, perspectivism, history of science, Leibniz, Bohr, Turing, complementarity, calculus, artificial intelligence, pedagogical development, knowledge transmission. Academic Search Terms: knowledge creation theory, social epistemology, scientific discovery process, wicked problems theory, history of science methodology, scientific revolution theory, perspectivism epistemology, knowledge transmission mechanisms, paradigm shift analysis, scientific progress models.