The failure to integrate history and philosophy of science properly may be explained by incompatible metaphysics implied by these fields.

Historians and sociologists tend to be historicists who assume that all objects of research are variable in principle.

Philosophers tend to be essentialists who look for permanent and essential qualities.

The implied historicism makes some radical pronouncements by Latour on ontological variance understandable.

The historicisation of the natural world proves challenging, but a number of sciences indicate compatibility with historicism.