OBSERVATION, PROBABILISM, AND HUMANIST METHODS OF HISTORY IN PIERRE GASSENDI’S METEOROLOGY

Gassendi’s humanistic presentation of ancient theories about meteorology, many of which were themselves characterized as probable or as a component of multiple explanations, was fully integrated with his engagement with empirical and experimental investigations that relied on arguments based on signs and historical comparisons. While several scholars have emphasized the importance of experience and sensation in Gassendi’s epistemological writings, in practice his empiricism was closely tied to humanistic historicism that combined direct observation with scrutiny of written accounts from the past. Gassendi’s techniques for the history of philosophy involved not just interpreting or reconstructing ancient theories but also using analysis of historical sources as evidence for what is real.