Observation and Objectivity

by Harold I. Brown

This book develops an explanation for the roles of observation and theory in scientific endeavor that occupies the middle ground between empiricism and rationalism, and captures the strengths of both approaches. Brown argues that philosophical theories have the same epistemological status as
scientific theories and constructs an epistemological theory that provides an account of the role that theory and instruments play in scientific observation. His theory of perception yields a new analysis of objectivity that combines the traditional view of observation as the foundation of
scientific objectivity with the contemporary recognition that observation is theory-dependent.

274 pages, Hardcover

First published June 18, 1987