On the Philosophy of Discovery
Chapters Historical and Critical
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How does scientific knowledge take shape, and what makes a discovery more than a collection of observations? In On the Philosophy of Discovery, William Whewell examines the processes and principles by which people arrive at reliable knowledge.
Drawing on the history of science, Whewell considers how discoveries emerge and how they are understood. The book brings together questions about evidence, reasoning, and the growth of human knowledge, treating scientific inquiry as a subject for philosophical investigation in its own right.
Written in the nineteenth century, this work offers a historical perspective on how science was explained and organized in Whewell’s time. It may suit listeners interested in the history and philosophy of science, especially those curious about the ideas behind discovery rather than a single scientific field.
Chapters
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| Pre-Introduction | 4:21 | Read by ShrimpPhish | |
| Chapter I - Introduction | 7:22 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter II | 15:38 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter III | 14:50 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter IV | 13:28 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter V | 18:00 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter VI | 14:49 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter VII | 10:40 | Read by czandra | |
| Chapter VIII | 5:32 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter IX | 18:51 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter X | 9:47 | Read by czandra | |
| Chapter XI | 32:20 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XII | 37:36 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XIII | 37:38 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XIV | 59:31 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XV | 1:06:20 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XVI | 20:51 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XVII | 41:21 | Read by Thomas Thieme | |
| Chapter XVIII | 55:18 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XIX | 31:10 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XX | 33:33 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XXI | 21:38 | Read by Patty H | |
| Chapter XXII Part 1 | 57:32 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XXII Part 2 | 1:41:52 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XXIII | 20:56 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XXIV | 44:49 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XXV | 19:03 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XXVI | 18:47 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XXVII | 18:12 | Read by SaigeOne | |
| Chapter XXVIII | 39:30 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XXIX | 17:53 | Read by Bryan Travis | |
| Chapter XXX | 58:28 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Chapter XXXI | 22:20 | Read by Bryan Travis | |
| Chapter XXXII | 36:43 | Read by Bryan Travis | |
| Appendix A | 54:10 | Read by SaigeOne | |
| Appendix B | 33:21 | Read by jenno | |
| Appendix BB | 26:35 | Read by Patty H | |
| Appendix C | 25:16 | Read by Nick Autorina | |
| Appendix D | 30:19 | Read by czandra | |
| Appendix E | 1:17:00 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Appendix F | 37:30 | Read by bookspeakerr | |
| Appendix G | 31:45 | Read by Owlivia | |
| Appendix H | 37:33 | Read by bookspeakerr |