Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity, 1894–1912

Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity, 1894–1912 (1978; second edition 1987) is a book by the philosopher Thomas Kuhn, in which the author surveys the development of quantum mechanics. The second edition has a new afterword.^[1]

Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity, 1894–1912

Cover of the first edition
Author	Thomas S. Kuhn
Language	English
Subject	Quantum mechanics
Published	1978 (Oxford University Press, first edition) 1987 (University of Chicago Press, second edition)
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	356
ISBN	0-19-520091-8 (first edition) 0-226-45800-8 (second edition)

Summary

Kuhn surveys the development of quantum mechanics by Max Planck at the end of the 19th century.^[2] He argues that Planck misread his own earlier work.^[1]

Reception

Alexander Bird describes Kuhn's book as "masterly", writing that it "differs from traditional history of science less in the kind of explanation offered and more in the vast erudition and scholarly attention to detail displayed."^[1]

According to philosopher Tim Maudlin, Planck and the Black Body Discontinuity (sic) "is a mixed bag: some good historiography and some poor analysis."^[3]