Contents

pp v-vii

Dedication

pp viii-viii

PART I - OF THE GENERAL NATURE AND ADVANTAGES OF THE STUDY OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES

CHAP. I - Of Man regarded as a Creature of Instinct, of Reason, and Speculation. — General Influence of Scientific Pursuits on the Mind

pp 1-17

CHAP. II - Of abstract Science as a Preparation for the Study of Physics. — A profound Acquaintance with it not indispensable for a clear Understanding of Physical Laws. — How a Conviction of their Truth may be obtained without it. — Instances. — Further Division of the Subject

pp 18-34

CHAP. III - Of the Nature and Objects, immediate and collateral, of Physical Science, as regarded in itself, and in its Application to the practical Purposes of Life, and its Influence on the Well-being and Progress of Society

pp 35-74

PART II - OF THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH PHYSICAL SCIENCE RELIES FOR ITS SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION, AND THE RULES BY WHICH A SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATION OF NATURE SHOULD BE CONDUCTED, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF THEIR INFLUENCE AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE HISTORY OF ITS PROGRESS

CHAP. I - Of Experience as the Source of our Knowledge. — Of the Dismissal of Prejudices. — Of the Evidence of our Senses

pp 75-84

CHAP. II - Of the Analysis of Phenomena

pp 85-103

CHAP. III - Of the State of Physical Science in General, previous to the Age of Galileo and Bacon

pp 104-117

CHAP. IV - Of the Observation of Facts and the Collection of Instances

pp 118-134

CHAP. V - Of the Classification of Natural Objects and Phenomena, and of Nomenclature

pp 135-143

CHAP. VI - Of the First Stage of Induction. — The Discovery of Proximate Causes, and Laws of the lowest Degree of Generality, and their Verification

pp 144-189

CHAP. VII - Of the higher Degrees of Inductive Generalization, and of the Formation and Verification of Theories

pp 190-220

PART III - OF THE SUBDIVISION OF PHYSICS INTO DISTINCT BRANCHES, AND THEIR MUTUAL RELATIONS

CHAP. I - Of the Phenomena of Force, and of the Constitution of Natural Bodies

pp 221-245

CHAP. II - Of the Communication of Motion through Bodies. — Of Sound and Light

pp 246-264

CHAP. III - Of Cosmical Phenomena

pp 265-289

CHAP. IV - Of the Examination of the material Constituents of the World

pp 290-309

CHAP. V - Of the Imponderable Forms of Matter

pp 310-346

CHAP. VI - Of the Causes of the actual rapid Advance of the Physical Sciences compared with their Progress at an earlier Period

pp 347-362

Index

pp 363-372