Duhem, Pierre (1861-1916)

French physicist and philosopher of science. His most important works are La Theorie physique: son objet, sa structure, 1906 (English translation The Aim and Structure of Physical Theory, 1954), Les Origines de la statique, 1906, and Le Système du monde, 1913-58.

Duhem believed that a proper grasp of a science requires some knowledge of its history. He adopted a broadly Aristotelian, realistic approach in his philosophical inquiry, and rejected metaphysical speculation. In particular, he maintained that we can never decide simply between two hypotheses, but only between two whole theories of which the hypotheses form a part.