Most historians and philosophers of science today would probably affirm their belief that their field of study is its own justification. Without attempting to defend the extreme opposite view that all scholarship must be tied to immediate practical needs, I would like to suggest that any discipline is falling short of its true potential unless it recognizes and seeks to accomplish tasks related to the needs of the larger community of scholars, and indeed to the needs of humanity as a whole. History and philosophy of science is in a unique position to perform an extremely valuable service in this regard. It can help science revitalize its theoretical approach, by re-emphasizing the interpretation of evidence and equations from the point of view of the natural philosopher, as was carried out in the heroic era of early modern "science".
