Since Rescher's earliest publication of the middle 1950's in this field, the philosophy of science has constituted one focus of his interest and preoccupation. Some dozen of Rescher's contributions to the field are published in the present volume, and they combine to convey his favoured way of blending empirical data with philosophical theorising.

Table of Contents

Preface; Does Inference to the Best Explanation Work?; Fundamental Problems in the Theory of Scientific Explanation; Technological Escalation and the Exploration Model of Natural Science; The Law of Logarithmic Returns; Some Issues Regarding the Completeness of Science and the Limits of Scientific Knowledge; Baffling Phenomena; Finitude and Limitations; The Unpredictability of Future Science; Can Computers Overcome Our Limitations?; Extraterrestrial Science; Meaningless Numbers; Credit for Making a Discovery; The Ethical Dimension of Scientific Research; Moral Issues Relating to the Economics of Knowledge in the Biomedical Science.