Realism and empiricism: the key question -- Scientific realism in the empiricist tradition -- An empiricist argument for realism -- Plausibility arguments in science -- Discovery and justification -- Rationality and objectivity in science -- Revisions of scientific convictions -- Dynamic rationality -- Hume's arguments on cosmology and design -- The "almost-deduction" theory -- The "partial-entailment" theory -- Confirmation and relevance.