Originally published in 1830, this book can be called the first modern work in the philosophy of science, covering an extraordinary range of philosophical, methodological, and scientific subjects. "Herschel's book . . . brilliantly analyzes both the history and nature of science."—Keith Stewart Thomson, American Scientist.

Il testo affronta la vexata quaestio dell’insegnamento della teologia nell’ambito delle università statali, dopo la separazione tra Chiesa e Stato a partire dal 1870.