Norwood Russell Hanson was one of the most important philosophers of science of the post-war period. Hanson brought Wittgensteinian ordinary language philosophy to bear on the concepts of science, and his treatments of observation, discovery, and the theory-ladenness of scientific facts remain central to the philosophy of science. Additionally, Hanson was one of philosophy's great personalities, and his sense of humor and charm come through fully in the pages of Perception and Discovery.

Perception and Discovery, originally published in 1969, is Hanson's posthumous textbook in philosophy of science. The book focuses on the indispensable role philosophy plays in scientific thinking. Perception and Discovery features Hanson's most complete and mature account of theory-laden observation, a discussion of conceptual and logical boundaries, and a detailed treatment of the epistemological features of scientific research and scientific reasoning. This book is ofinterest to scholars of philosophy of science, particularly those concerned with Hanson's thought and the development of the discipline in the middle of the 20th century. However, even fifty years after Hanson's early death, Perception and Discovery still has a great deal to offer all readers interested in science.

Inhalt
Introduction
Part 1. Provocations and Restraints1. On Philosophizingand Some Logical Distinctions2. Defining Conceptual Boundaries3. Measuring and Counting: More Boundaries
Part 2. The Act of Scientific Seeing4. There Is More to Seeing than Meets the Eye

5. Seeing the Same Thing6. Seeing and Seeing As7. Seeing As and Seeing That8. Seeing, Saying, and Knowing9. Spectacles behind the Eyes10. Can We See Facts?11. Facts and Seeing That
   Part 3. Perplexity: the Process of Experimental Research12. Waves, Particles, and Facts13. Hypotheses Facta Fingunt14. Scientific Simplicity and Crucial Experiments15. The Systematic Side of Science16. Discovering Causes and Becauses17. What Happens as a Rule18. Theory-Laden Language19. The Scientists' Toolbox20. Laws, Truths, and Hypotheses21. Principles as Platitudes
   Part 4. Probability and Probable Reasoning in Science22. Frequencies and the Mathematics of Probability23. Using and Interpreting the Probability Calculus24. Elements of Statistical Technique25. The Principle of Uniformity Revisited
   Editor's EpilogueIndex