The revolution in physics of the early Nineteenth century revisited in the context of science-and-society interaction

TL;DR

This paper revisits the early 19th-century physics revolution, emphasizing its complex, multi-decade nature and its deep ties to social, cultural, and economic transformations, challenging simplified historical narratives.

Contribution

It argues that the physics revolution was a prolonged, multi-faceted process influenced by societal factors, not a single event, and critiques Kuhn's interpretation of this historical period.

Findings

Multiple successive changes characterized the physics revolution.

Social and cultural factors deeply influenced scientific developments.

The 1980s perspectives are considered a third quantum revolution.

Abstract

The radical changes in the concepts and approach in Physics at the turn of the Nineteenth century were so deep, that is acknowledged as a revolution. However, in 1970 Thomas Kuhn's careful reconstruction of the researches on the black body problem, the concept itself of the revolution seemed to vanish in his diluted discussion of every details. In the present paper, after an examination of the limitations of Kuhn's response to his critics, I put forward the idea, although it is not new, that these changes in Physics cannot be reduced to a point-like event, but happened instead through multiple successive (and even contradictory) changes in the course of decades. Such as the old quantum hypothesis, wave mechanics, orthodox quantum mechanics. In fact, the innovative perspectives started in the 1980s have been considered as a third quantum revolution. My basic argument is that these changes, in order to be really understood, must be interpreted not as mere specific changes in Physics, but framed in the context of the deep social, cultural, and economic changes during those turbulent years. The main steps are outlined.