The role of theory in chemistry

I just read a nice article Theory in Chemistry by Roald Hoffmann. Although, written in 1974, I consider it just as poignant (or perhaps even more so) today. It should be read in full. But here are a few highlights to motivate you to read the 3 pages.

Is not the design and analysis of a beautiful experiment theory?

Given the human character, rationalisation poses no problem. Prediction is another matter. By and large, theory has not predicted much chemistry.

some exceptions.... I would call a credibility nexus - in which a group of experimentalists, otherwise skeptical of theory, suddenly found itself faced with the success of a simple theory. That set of specialists quickly became concerts, often zealots... 

the most important role of theory in chemistry is to provide a framework in which to think, to organize experimental knowledge

Hoffmann identifies six examples of "credibility nexus"

• Huckel's rules for the stability of different conjugated organic molecules
• Walsh's rules (1953) which showed how the geometry changes in excited states of polyatomic molecules could be derived from simple symmetry and bonding diagrams
• Huckel theory descriptions of the spin distribution in anion radicals
• crystal field theory for transition metal complexes which led to a renaissance of inorganic chemistry
• critical phenomena
• orbital symmetry conservation [for which Hoffmann later received the Nobel Prize]

I came across the article via a review article, "A Different Story of pi-Delocalization" by Shaik, Shurty, Davidovich, and Hiberty who claim that valence bond theory provides a  "credibility nexus".