This text offers a comprehensive discussion of philosophies that are relevant to the conceptualization and development of the knowledge base and discipline of nursing. Coverage progresses from classical philosophy to the rationalism of Descartes, the roots of modern science in British empiricism, the evolution of modern science, and the concept of interpretive inquiry. Also included are chapters on the knowledge-practice connection and models for nursing knowledge development. This book explores how philosophy shapes aspects of nursing and provides students with a much richer and fuller understanding of how nursing works, how it can be approached most effectively, and how it might be shaped to advance in the future.