Philosophy of Chemistry

Philosophy of Chemistry investigates the foundational concepts and methods of chemistry, the science of the nature of substances and their transformations. This groundbreaking collection, the most thorough treatment of the philosophy of chemistry ever published, brings together philosophers, scientists and historians to map out the central topics in the field. The 33 articles address the history of the philosophy of chemistry and the philosophical importance of some central figures in the history of chemistry; the nature of chemical substances; central chemical concepts and methods, including the chemical bond, the periodic table and reaction mechanisms; and chemistry's relationship to other disciplines such as physics, molecular biology, pharmacy and chemical engineering. This volume serves as a detailed introduction for those new to the field as well as a rich source of new insights and potential research agendas for those already engaged with the philosophy of chemistry.

- Provides a bridge between philosophy and current scientific findings

- Encourages multi-disciplinary dialogue

- Covers theory and applications

1;Front Cover;1 2;Philosophy of Chemistry;2 3;Copyright;5 4;General Preface;6 5;Contributors;8 6;Contents;10 7;Part 1: Introduction;13 7.1;Introduction;15 7.1.1;1 What is the Philosophy of Chemistry?;15 7.1.2;2 History of the Philosophy of chemistry;16 7.1.3;3 Chemical Substances;18 7.1.4;4 Central Concepts and Methodology;20 7.1.5;5 Chemistry, Physics and Other Disciplines;23 7.1.6;6 The Future of the Philosophy of Chemistry;25 7.1.7;Bibliography;30 8;Part 2: History of the Philosophy of Chemistry;31 8.1;Prehistory of the Philosophy of Chemistry;33 8.1.1;1 Preliminary Remarks;33 8.1.2;2 The Heritage of Kant;34 8.1.3;3 Hegel, Schelling, Peirce;36 8.1.4;4 Whewell, Mill, Broad;39 8.1.5;5 Ostwald, Cassirer, Paneth;41 8.1.6;6 French Philosophy of Chemistry;43 8.1.7;7 Neglect of Chemistry in English-Language Philosophy of Science;45 8.1.8;8 Philosophy of Chemistry in Eastern Europe;47 8.1.9;9 Resonance and Politics;49 8.1.10;10 Birth of the Philosophy of Chemistry;51 8.1.11;Bibliography;54 8.2;Robert Boyle (1627-1691);58 8.2.1;Bibliography;63 8.3;Joseph Priestly (17331804);65 8.3.1;Bibliography;71 8.4;Antoine Lavoisier (17431794);73 8.4.1;1 Biography;73 8.4.2;2 Chemical Work;74 8.4.3;3 Philosophical Issues;75 8.4.4;Bibliography;79 8.5;John Dalton (17661844);81 8.5.1;Bibliography;87 8.6;Dmitrii Ivanovich Mendeleev (18341907);88 8.6.1;1 Introduction;88 8.6.2;2 Biography;89 8.6.3;3 Research Topics;90 8.6.4;4 Philosophical Views;92 8.6.5;5 Conclusion;95 8.6.6;Bibliography;95 8.7;Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839-1903);97 8.7.1;1 Biography;97 8.7.2;2 Thermodynamics;98 8.7.3;3 Physical Chemistry;100 8.7.4;4 Philosophy;103 8.7.5;Bibliography;106 8.8;Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald (18531932);109 8.8.1;1 Biography;109 8.8.2;2 Intellectual Odyssey;110 8.8.3;3 Energetic Theory;113 8.8.4;4 Energetic Chemistry;116 8.8.5;5 Energy And Matter;117 8.8.6;Bibliography;118 8.9;PIERRE DUHEM (18611916);120 8.9.1;1 Bibliographical Sketch;120 8.9.2;2 The Place of Chemistry in Duhems Interests;120 8.9.3;3 C
hemical Formulas;122 8.9.4;4 Duhems Critique of Chemical Atomism;126 8.9.5;5 Ancient Views of Mixture;127 8.9.6;6 Final Comments;130 8.9.7;Bibliography;130 8.10;Franti Sek Wald (18611930);132 8.10.1;Phenomenalist Chemistry;132 8.10.2;Acknowledgement;137 8.10.3;Bibliography;138 8.11;G. N. Lewis (18751946);139 8.12;Gaston Bachelard (1884-1962);147 8.12.1;1 Chemistry as a Model for a New Epistemology;147 8.12.2;2 Chemistry: An Anti-Model Science;148 8.12.3;3 Chemistry: A Science of Harmony;149 8.12.4;4 Chemistry: A Science of Effects;150 8.12.5;5 Chemistry: A Phenomenotechnique;152 8.12.6;ideal of rationalism, as a kind of ethical engagement.;155 8.12.7;Bibliography;155 8.13;LINUS PAULING (19011994);157 8.13.1;1 Biography;157 8.13.2;2 Philosophical Views;159 8.13.3;Bibliography.;163 8.14;Ilya Prigogine (1917-2003);170 8.14.1;Acknowledgement;179 8.14.2;Bibliography;179 8.15;Charles Coulson (19101974);164 8.15.1;1 Biography;164 8.15.2;2 Philosophical Views;164 8.15.3;Bibliography;169 9;Part 3: Chemical Substances;181 9.1;Ancient Theories of Chemical Substance;183 9.1.1;1 Early Pluralist Theories;183 9.1.2;2 Platos Speculative Suggestions;186 9.1.3;3 Aristotles Theory of Mixis;187 9.1.4;4 Later Atomisms More Dynamic Theory;189 9.1.5;5 The Stoic Alternative;190 9.1.6;6 Epilogue;192 9.1.7;Bibliography;193 9.2;Substances: The Ontology of Chemistry;194 9.2.1;1 Terminological Preliminaries;194 9.2.2;2 Phenomenology of Everyday Stuff (and Things);196 9.2.3;3 High-Entropy Bulk Glassy Metals and Other Mixts;197 9.2.4;4 Protochemistry;198 9.2.5;5 Stuff Perspective;199 9.2.6;6 Natural Kinds;200 9.2.7;7 Molar Definition of Pure Substance";201 9.2.8;8 Polymorphs;202 9.2.9;9 The Phase Rule;204 9.2.10;10 Phase and Substance Properties;208 9.2.11;11 Metastable and Other Esoteric Phases;209 9.2.12;12 Non-Stoichiometric Compounds;210 9.2.13;13 Inclusion Complexes and Addition Compounds;214 9.2.14;14 Atomic Number;217 9.2.15;15 Isotopes (Nuclear Isomers);218 9.2.16;16 Monomers and Polymers
;219 9.2.17;17 Identification of (Submicroscopic) Chemical Species;221 9.2.18;18 Enantiomers and Racemates;222 9.2.19;19 Tautomers and Other Fleeting Species;224 9.2.20;20 One set of Nuclei and Electrons;226 9.2.21;21 Concluding Remarks;226 9.2.22;BIBLIOGRAPHY;228 9.3;Modality, Mereology and Substance;233 9.3.1;1 Introduction;233 9.3.2;2 Mereology;233 9.3.3;3 The Interpretation of Quantified Modal Logic;239 9.3.4;4 Natural Kinds;241 9.3.5;5 Substance Properties as Mass Predicates;244 9.3.6;6 Intensive and Homogeneous Predicates;247 9.3.7;7 Modality;251 9.3.8;8 Final Word on the Elements;254 9.3.9;Bibliography;255 9.4;Elements;257 9.4.1;1 Introduction;257 9.4.2;2 Historical Development;257 9.4.3;3 Paneth on the Elements;264 9.4.4;4 Philosophical Issues;267 9.4.5;Bibliography;270 9.5;COMPOUNDS AND MIXTURES;272 9.5.1;1 Introduction;272 9.5.2;2 The Aristotelian Conception of Mixture;272 9.5.3;3 The Stoic Theory of Mixt;275 9.5.4;4 Freeing Substance from Phase;277 9.5.5;5 The Law of Definite Proportions and the Problem of Chemical Combination;280 9.5.6;6 Thermodynamics and the Phase Rule;282 9.5.7;7 Questioning the Law of Definite Proportions: Berthollides;286 9.5.8;8 Conclusion;289 9.5.9;Bibliography;290 10;Part 4: Chemical Concepts and Methods;292 10.1;The Chemical Bond;294 10.1.1;1 Chemical Structure Theory;294 10.1.2;2 The Electron and the Chemical Bond;298 10.1.3;3 Quantum Mechanics and the Chemical Bond;301 10.1.4;4 Two Conceptions of the Chemical Bond;305 10.1.5;Bibliography;307 10.2;Mechanisms and Chemical Reaction;309 10.2.1;1 Introduction.;309 10.2.2;2 What is a Mechanism in Organic Chemistry?;310 10.2.3;3 Establishing a Mechanism: The Bromonation of Alkenes;315 10.2.4;4 Using Mechanisms in Total Synthesis;321 10.2.5;5 Mechanisms in Philosophy and Chemistry;324 10.2.6;Bibliography;327 10.3;The Periodic Table;328 10.3.1;1 Introduction;328 10.3.2;2A Brief History ;329 10.3.3;3 Forms of the Periodic Table;330 10.3.4;4 Developments in Philosophy of Chemistry;333 10
.3.5;Bibliography;335 10.4;Laws in Chemistry;338 10.4.1;1 Introduction;338 10.4.2;2 The Grammar of Statements of Natural Laws;341 10.4.3;3 Refinements and Qualifications;342 10.4.4;4 Chemical Taxonomies;343 10.4.5;5 A common Feature?;344 10.4.6;6 The Status of Equations Describing Reactions ;346 10.4.7;7 Which Concept of Causation is Exemplified in Chemical Discourse?;348 10.4.8;8 Falsification Protection;350 10.4.9;9 The Deducibility of Counterfactuals;351 10.4.10;Bibliography;353 10.5;Chemical Modeling;354 10.5.1;1 Physical Modeling in Chemistry;354 10.5.2;2 Mathematical Modeling in Chemistry;355 10.5.3;3 Putting Chemical Models to Work;357 10.5.4;Bibliography;361 11;Part 5: Chemistry and Physics;363 11.1;Reduction, Emergence and Physicalism;365 11.1.1;1 Introduction;365 11.1.2;2 Chemistry and Classical Reduction;366 11.1.3;3 Chemistry in a Physical World;371 11.1.4;4 Physicalism;374 11.1.5;5 The Completeness of Physics;378 11.1.6;Bibliography;383 11.2;Atoms and Molecules in Classical Chemistry and Quantum Mechanics;385 11.2.1;1 The Evolution of Classical Molecular Structure;385 11.2.2;2 Atomic and Molecular Structure, and Valence Bonds;396 11.2.3;3 The Molecule in Quantum Mechanics;408 11.2.4;Bibliography;421 11.3;Concept Amalgamation and Representation in Quantum Chemistry;425 11.3.1;Introduction;425 11.3.2;Stage Setting;426 11.3.3;The SchrOdinger Equation;428 11.3.4;The Heitler-London Calculation;430 11.3.5;The Valence Bond Approach;433 11.3.6;The Molecular Orbital Approach;437 11.3.7;Comparison of VB and MO Approaches;439 11.3.8;Abstracting the Qualitative from the Quantitative;441 11.3.9;A NEW METHOD: CONFIGURATION INTERACTION;444 11.3.10;The Dark Age and Beyond: Further Development of Quantum Chemistry;449 11.3.11;From Equations to Pictures;451 11.3.12;Bridging the Gap;455 11.3.13;Representing Chemistry;460 11.3.14;Bibliography;461 11.4;Thermodynamics in Chemistry;465 11.4.1;1 Introduction;465 11.4.2;2 Structure of Thermodynamics;467 11.4.3;3 Practice of The
rmodynamics;472 11.4.4;4 The Phase Rule;486 11.4.5;5 Statistical Thermodynamics;487 11.4.6;6 Possible Conclusions;489 11.4.7;Acknowledgement;491 11.4.8;Bibliography;492 11.5;Entropy in Chemistry;493 11.5.1;1 Introduction;493 11.5.2;2 Clausius on Entropy;493 11.5.3;3 Gibbs on Entropy;494 11.5.4;4 Planck on Entropy;497 11.5.5;5 The Neglect of Entropy;497 11.5.6;6 Changing Times;500 11.5.7;Bibliography;502 12;Part 6: Chemistry and Other Disciplines;505 12.1;Explanatory Relationships Between Chemical and Biological Sciences;507 12.1.1;1 Introduction;507 12.1.2;2 A Specific form of Chemistry;507 12.1.3;3 Chemical Explanations of Biological Phenomena;510 12.1.4;4 The Explanation of the Formation of Life;514 12.1.5;Bibliography;515 12.2;Chemistry and Pharmacy: A Philosophical Inquiry Into an Evolving Relationship;517 12.2.1;1 Introduction;517 12.2.2;2 The Philosophy of Pharmacy;518 12.2.3;3 Targets and the Promise of Rational Drug Design;519 12.2.4;4 Screening: Creating Chemical Possibilities the Old-Fashioned Way;520 12.2.5;5 Chemical Tweaking as Empirical Drug Design Variation on a Theme;522 12.2.6;6 The Paradox of the Pharmakon;523 12.2.7;7 Historical Perspectives on the Relationship Between Chemistry and Pharmacy;524 12.2.8;8 Conclusion;526 12.2.9;Bibliography;527 12.3;Chemical Engineering Science;529 12.3.1;1 Introduction;529 12.3.2;2 Unit Operations and Transport Phenomena;531 12.3.3;3 Similarity Considerations and Dimensionless Numbers;533 12.3.4;4 Dimensional Analysis in Chemical Engineering;534 12.3.5;5 Fundamental Presuppositions of Dimensional Analysis;536 12.3.6;6 Ceteris Paribus Assumptions;538 12.3.7;7 Geometric Models of Heterogeneous Multiphase Systems;539 12.3.8;Bibliography;542 13;Index;544