Abstract: Thomas Kuhn's concept of paradigm and scientific revolution provide an analytical framework for understanding knowledge change. It is found, from the perspective of paradigm shift, that the state-centered paradigm has born the innovative value of theoretical turning point as it has pushed the study of the state from the traditional political science to the new theoretical paradigm, and realized the knowledge transformation from behaviorism to neo-institutionalism. This paradigm, on the basis of inheriting the tradition of state studies, has opened up new fields through the concept of occurrence, the way of development and the theme of innovation. This paper, taking the state as the center, discusses the interactive form between the state and society, and investigates the specific facts of the state and its relationship with society by means of scientific analysis. The “scientific revolution” of the state-centered paradigm is realized in the combination of the “retrieval” of the state theme in theory and the “inheritance” of scientific analysis in research methods, which completes the paradigm shift in the “regression” and “development”. The analysis of the reform process of national research inspires us to establish a clear sense of paradigm when promoting theoretical innovation, and consciously respond to the needs of practice by promoting paradigm change, so as to realize the scientific revolution based on Chinese practice in the new era.

Key words: paradigm shift, behaviorism, state-centered paradigm, state-society relationship