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Birth
Born 10 June 1861 to Pierre-Joseph Duhem and Marie-Alexandrine Fabre in a modest neighborhood just south of Montmartre in Paris, France. -
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Pierre Duhem
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Franco-Prussian War
Conflict between the Second French Empire and Kingdom of Prussia -
Battle of Châteaudun
Pierre Duhem Experienced the Siege of Châteaudun first hand, writing about his experience and showcasing his literacy at the age of 9 -
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Attended Collège Stanislas de Paris
Pierre Duhem recalled in his later years that his time at college was the most influential, especially in regards to his teacher Jules Moutier as influencing his interest in physics and physical theory -
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Attended École Normale Supérieure
Attended the prestigious École Normale Supérieure; receiving a Bachelors equivalent (License) in mathematics and physics. Presenting two theses for his Doctorate in physics -
Le potentiel thermodynamique et ses applications à la mécanique chimique et à l’étude des phénomènes électriques
Pierre Duhem's first thesis on thermodynamics for his Doctorate in physics. Initially rejected due to a political move by the three scholars in charge of the panel. Was published by the scientific publisher Hermann, A. the following year. Duhem, Pierre M. M. Le potentiel thermodynamique et ses applications, Hermann, A., 1886. Gallica {BNF https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k62445r.image.f4.langFR -
Sur l’aimantation par influence
Pierre Duhem's second thesis on magnetism for his Doctorate in Physics Duhem, P.. "De l'aimantation par influence." Annales de la Faculté des sciences de Toulouse : Mathématiques 2 (1888): L1-L138. http://eudml.org/doc/72555 -
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Maitre de Conférences (Assistant Professor) - Faculté des Sciences at Lille
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Doctorate in Physics
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Maitre de Conférences - Faculté des Sciences at Rennes
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Professeur des Universités (Professor) - Université de Bordeaux
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La Théorie Physique. Son Objet, sa Structure
Duhem critiques the inductive (which he uses the term Newtonian for) method in this work. Rejecting the hypothesis of indistinct objects and hidden movements and admits only general laws known by induction were from observations. Introducing Instrumentalism, stating that theories can be seen not only as anti-realist, but as mere instruments for human use. Stating though that some fields had attained genuine knowledge and not falling within the realm of instrumentalism. -
Confirmation Holism Video
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La Théorie Physique. Son Objet, sa Structure - Citation
Duhem, P. (1906). La théorie physique: son objet et sa structure. Revue Philosophique de la France Et de l'Etranger 61:324-327. -
Underdetermination Thesis, The Quine-Duhem Thesis
Underdetermination is expounded upon by Duhem in his La Théorie Physique. Stating that any result that is observed will have multiple explanations. Therefor physical theories that were underdetermined could give support to and against observed evidence. This thesis was further applied outside of physics by Willard Quine. With Quine using Duhem's thesis as the basis for his as the Quine-Duhem Thesis -
Confirmation Holism
Touched on in Duhem's La Théorie Physique as with his Underdetermination Thesis. Confirmation holism is stated to be that a theories and hypotheses can only be confirmed or disconfirmed through a group or collection of empirical tests. Duhem would go on to argue that "that there cannot be any such thing as a “crucial experiment”: a single experiment whose outcome is predicted differently by two competing theories and which therefore serves to definitively confirm one and refute the other" -
Underdetermination / Confirmation Holism Citation
Stanford, Kyle, "Underdetermination of Scientific Theory", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/scientific-underdetermination -
Death
Died in Cabesprine, France in a home left by his maternal grandfathers family.