Converging Dialogues #469 - From Natural Philosophy to Modern Science: A Dialogue with Peter Dear
Jan 29, 2026
Peter Dear, historian of science and Cornell professor emeritus, reflects on the shift from natural philosophy to modern science. Short takes cover Newton and theology, the myth of a single scientific method, Linnaeus and taxonomy, Faraday’s hands-on experiments, the rise of physics, Laplace and the bell curve, and how scientific training and institutions reshaped knowledge.
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Natural Philosophy's Contemplative Core
- Natural philosophy meant contemplative understanding of God's creation rather than just practical rules.
- Modern science fused that contemplative aim with instrumentality, producing a split personality across disciplines.
Science's Dual Justification
- Science absorbed natural philosophy's aim of understanding while adding strong practical instrumentality.
- Both registers justify each other rather than one fully replacing the other.
The Myth Of A Single Scientific Method
- There is no single mechanical 'scientific method' uniformly followed in practice.
- Scientific success arises from cultural practices and local ways of making knowledge, not a formulaic procedure.
