Societal values only change as generations die out - source?

April 28, 2015 7:02 PM

Which social/academic theorist came up with this idea that societal/cultural values only change as generations pass? The flow on impact of that is it's sometimes not even worth trying to change the minds of people, just wait for them die out.

I seem to recall this was an academic source, but only hazily. My Google-FU skills failing me here!

posted by mrme to Society & Culture (5 answers total)

Best answer: Max Planck?

A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.

Often paraphrased as, "Science advances one funeral at a time."
posted by clawsoon at 7:15 PM on April 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I first encountered it in the book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn.
posted by Bruce H. at 7:59 PM on April 28, 2015 [7 favorites]

Try looking up "demographic metabolism."
posted by three_red_balloons at 6:47 AM on April 29, 2015

There's a book on the subject. It cites Planck for the observation.
posted by dws at 9:10 AM on April 29, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Planck seems to be exactly it - thank you all. Knew the hive would find this before I could blink :) Appreciate the search terms and the further reading !
posted by mrme at 2:34 AM on April 30, 2015