The Fortunes of Inquiry

Book excerpt: Until about the middle of this century philosophers and scientists commonly held that science showed an accumulation of a body of objective knowledge. This view has been very widely challenged over recent years; but in this study Dr Jardine offers a defence.The discussion involves consideration of many controversial issues concerning truth in science, interpretation of past theories, and grounds of scientific method. The author writes with a careful appreciation of the complexities involved and argues for a distinctive point of view with skill andclarity.