Pierre Duhem

Pierre Maurice Marie Duhem ( born June 10, 1861 in Paris, † September 14, 1916 in Cabrespine, France) was a French physicist and philosopher of science / historians and representatives of instrumentalism.

Life and work

Duhem studied at the École normale supérieure. He taught at the Universities of Lille (1887-1893), Rennes (1893 /4) and Bordeaux ( 1894-1916 ) theoretical physics.

Pierre Duhem was one of the founders of physical chemistry, science historian and philosopher of science. Duhem, who has been heavily influenced in his theoretical designs of Mach's principle of " economy of thought " has, on its physical and theoretical scientific work ( "The aim and structure of physical theories " ) also detected as the first, that the beginnings of modern science not with the beginning Renaissance lift, but that key strategic decisions and findings were made in the Middle Ages for the following centuries and templates. As an example the work on Nicholas can be called by Oresme. Today's Medieval Studies has these theses partly received, but partially modified by new source research.

In 1913 he became a corresponding member of the French Academy of Sciences. His scientific theories corresponded with Duhem also very conservative political and religious views. In the philosophy of science Duhem is mainly known by the Duhem - Quine thesis. Were continued Critical Duhem's work on medieval natural science of Anneliese Maier.