“Describing our whole experience”: The statistical philosophies of W. F. R. Weldon and Karl Pearson

► I examine the motivations that Weldon and Pearson had for engaging in statistics. ► It is often argued that reasons for using statistics lead to different methods. ► Weldon and Pearson, however, have different motivation but identical methods. ► Weldon's philosophy of science is interesting, yet under-studied.