Boyle emphasized the importance of witness testimony from "summary" of Leviathan and the Air-Pump by Steven Shapin,Simon Schaffer
Robert Boyle placed great value on the role of witness testimony in establishing the credibility of scientific experiments. He believed that firsthand accounts from individuals who had actually observed an experiment were crucial in validating the results and conclusions drawn from it. Boyle was of the opinion that witness testimony provided a level of certainty and reliability that could not be achieved through mere theoretical reasoning or speculation. For Boyle, witness testimony served as a means of verifying the accuracy of experimental observations and ensuring the integrity of the scientific process. He understood that human perception and interpretation could be fallible, but he also recognized the importance of having multiple witnesses to corroborate findings and reduce the potential for error or bias. Boyle believed that a consensus among witnesses added weight to the experimental results and increased their credibility in the eyes of the scientific community. In Boyle's vi...
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