The primary aim of this book, in fact, is to convince the reader of the interdependence of science and philosophy. I choose the term "interdependence" deliberately here, since I will argue that it is not simply
that one cannot do good philosophy without relying upon the results of scientific theorizing, but that a careful examination of science shows that the acceptance or rejection of particular scientific theories depends as much upon the adoption of specific philosophical presuppositions as it does upon the evidence of observation and experimentation. In one sense, the major aim of this book is to cast as much doubt as possible on the view that science and philosophy are independent pursuits that can be carried out in total ignorance of each other.