ABSTRACT:
The theme surrounding scientific discoveries is quite neglected in and about the sciences, especially in terms of understanding it historically and epistemologically. In fact, many times, discoveries are treated as simple information about dates, places and people. This work presents some discussions centered on historical episodes related to chemical elements and the Periodic Law, based on reflections by Thomas Kuhn and Norwood Hanson, aiming to highlight and contextualize the conceptual and epistemological structure of certain scientific discoveries. In this way, issues related to the inseparability of the contexts of discovery and justification are recovered, as well as the complex intrinsic structures of the genesis of scientific knowledge and distinct types and categories of discoveries in science.
Keywords:
Scientific discovery; History and Philosophy of Science; Chemical element