Paradogm, more than a concept

The history behind Paradogme

Paradogme was originally a company born in 2006 to meet specific needs in the field of information technology.

The name of this company meanwhile, was born from a reflection in the early 2000s, on the paradigms and different dogmas resulting from these which affected the thinking of many in this field of activity as well as other areas of modern science. This was therefore intended to be a new approach to all the knowledge, ways of doing things or implementations acquired in any field whatsoever. A new word had just been created with the hidden concept behind it.

Definition

Etymologically speaking, paradogm or paradogma is the word resulting from the derivative of dogma with the prefix para. Dogma, borrowed from Latin (dogma) itself derived from Greek, has seen its meaning evolve over the centuries. Originally interpreted in Greek as an opinion or a belief, dogma became with Latin (doctrine of the Church). Today, the definition common and present in everyone's mind is (Indisputable Truth Defined by Competent Authority). In everyday life and for ordinary mortals, dogma can also take the form of all acquired ideas often anchored so deeply that one does not even think of questioning them.

As for the prefix para, whether the definition adopted comes from the Greek (next to) or from the Latin (to ward off, to counter), each brings a dimension to the whole formed by the word paradogma which is able to express it well; the meaning according to the context in which the term itself is used or applied. Here are some meanings of paradogma:

• To counter dogma or to ward off dogma.
• Beware of the dogma which acts here as a warning.
• Alongside or on the fringes of dogma to designate a point of view that must be taken into account.

Use

Although there is no need to add the word paradogma to our vocabulary, are there any objections to its use? In fact, using it could only reinforce certain positions that are sometimes out of step or in real opposition to the current movement of thought or acquired ideas. Thus, the sentence « The author of this publication raises here a paradogma concerning the concept of reference frame in relativity. », will tell us that the paradigm concerning the definition of reference has just been invalidated by a logic that defies previously established norms by highlighting the errors associated with a paradigm elevated to the rank of dogma. If a paradigm constitutes in many respects a model or a reference made up of rules determining the angle under which a phenomenon must be apprehended, observed or treated, the paradogma is 'a contrario', the reasoning revealing the faults of the paradigm.

When the digital watch was invented, it was not the watch industry that first seized on the discovery. The big names in the industry at the time, not seeing a watch there, would not have been able to take advantage of this new technology because what they understood then of the paradigm concerning watchmaking was that a watch was consisting of a dial with hands to indicate the time. It is other companies that have been able to take advantage of this technology which would normally have fallen to a watchmaking giant. For watchmaking at the time, the digital watch would have been its paradogma, because it had just countered a dogma.

That said, history has shown us a few times that even science has often been governed by dogma rather than a real objective look. As proof, the condemnation to the stake until the seventeenth century for anyone who asserted that the earth was not the center of the universe. Fortunately, this kind of practice no longer prevails where there is a modicum of civility. Later some others will have been mocked before we discover the relevance of their work such as Darwin.

Epilogue

Who was the first to have created, invented the word, the idea or the concept of paradogma? The term, because of its etymological roots, has been present in the collective unconscious of Western culture for almost two millennia. It is therefore up to whoever wishes to use it to use it well, especially wisely and with judgment. Some will have understood that this is a rebuke to those who appropriated the invention of the concept « Paradogma ».