Natural Philosophy vs.Science

Several hundred years ago what is today known as "science" was called
"natural philosophy." The methods of natural philosophers differed
from those of later scientists such as Robert Boyle, Francis Bacon,
and Galileo. Natural philosophers did not test their ideas in a
practical way. They preferred a speculative, philosophical approach
and relied heavily on tradition and authority while making their
statements about the natural world.

In contrast, Boyle and others, beginning in the 17th century,
advocated more systematic validations of their conclusions through
experimentation and replication. Even though their new methodology was
still included under the umbrella term of natural philosophy, the term
science later came into formal use. These pioneers and others were
really the earliest true scientists as we understand that term today.
They used most of the techniques of what we understand today as the
"scientific method," but that term did not come into common use until
the 19th century. Theoretical Aristotelian philosophical speculations
about ultimate purposes and principles in nature were dismissed.
Natural philosophy yielded to modern science.

Today many people think of science as a precise method for proving
things beyond any doubt. They feel a certain reverence for facts
touted to be "scientifically proven." This view of science is
deficient in many ways. It is true that the basic process of
scientific method is mostly held in high regard by both scientists and
the public as a superior vehicle for discovering knowledge of the
natural world and how it works for man's advantage. But a study of
even a small portion of the huge body of literature on the modern
philosophy of science, especially in the last century, will show that
the picture is not so simple. In future posts we will explore some of
the surprising ways modern philosophy has impacted science both
positively and negatively. Science philosophy influences the methods
of gaining knowledge, the scope of the resulting knowledge, and the
implications of the knowledge gained. The same could be said of the
influence of philosophy on any other discipline, ranging from politics
to religion.

Please read more at:
http://jasscience.blogspot.com/2007/12/natural-philosophy-vsscience.html