Philosophy of Chemistry: Synthesis of a New DisciplineDavis Baird, Eric Scerri, Lee McIntyre The Invisibility of Chemistry DAVIS BAIRD South Carolina Honors College, University of South Carolina ERIC SCERRI Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles LEE MCINTYRE Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University BUTWHATAREALLTHOSECHEMISTSDOING? Recently, one of us (Davis Baird) attended a meeting of historians of science and technology spanning all of the natural sciences and engineering and all (western) periods, ancient through contemporary. In the discussion of a paper on state-of-t- art history of modern (18th century forward) chemistry, a member of the audience made the claim that there was very little left to do in contemporary chemistry and that chemistry departments in his country were having trouble attracting graduate students. Baird found this perspective on contemporary chemistry both remarkable andimplausible,andsaidasmuch. AttheUniversityofSouthCarolina(USC)—where he teaches—chemistry enrolls, and graduates, ?ve times as many graduate students as physics. In this, USC is not unique. The discipline of chemistry is, in fact, enormous and enormously productive. Joachim Schummer in this volume (Chapter 2) makes the point persuasively and concisely with data on the number of publications in various ?elds. With a grand total just shy of 900,000 papers indexed in chemical abstracts for the year 2000, chemistry is larger than all of the other natural sciences combined. |
Contents
| 3 | |
From Infancy | 19 |
Aristotles Theory of Chemical Reaction | 41 |
Kants Legacy for the Philosophy of Chemistry | 69 |
Reemergence | 95 |
Normative and Descriptive Philosophy of Science | 118 |
ChemistryThe Case of Molecular Modeling | 129 |
Professional Ethics in Science | 157 |
Some Philosophical Implications of Chemical Symmetry 207 | 206 |
Presuppositions | 221 |
A New Paradigm for Schrödinger and Kohn | 245 |
CHEMISTRY AND ITS TOOLS OF REPRESENTATION | 270 |
Space in Molecular Representation Or How Pictures | 292 |
Visualizing Instrumental Techniques of Surface Chemistry | 309 |
Are Chemical Kinds Natural Kinds? | 327 |
Water is Not H2O | 337 |
Other editions - View all
Philosophy of Chemistry: Synthesis of a New Discipline Davis Baird,Eric Scerri,Lee McIntyre Limited preview - 2011 |
Philosophy of Chemistry: Synthesis of a New Discipline Davis Baird,Eric Scerri,Lee McIntyre No preview available - 2009 |
Philosophy of Chemistry: Synthesis of a New Discipline Davis Baird,Eric Scerri,Lee McIntyre No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
applied approach approximation argue Aristotle Aristotle's atoms Bachelard 1968 behavior bond Brakel calculations Cambridge causal chapter Chemical Education chemical engineering chemical kinds chemical substance chemists claim complex compound computer-aided concepts configuration dimensions discipline discussion dynamics electrons elements energy entities Eric Scerri ethics example experience experimental explanation fact Figure function fundamental geometry group theory Hamiltonian Hefferlin hydrogen idea initio interaction ISBN isomers isotopic issue Kant Kant's Latour laws mathematical matter metachemistry metaphysical methods microscopic molecules natural kinds notion object ontological orbitals particles periodic system philosophy of chemistry Philosophy of Science physics picture position possible potential practice principle problem process design proper science properties quantum chemistry quantum mechanics quantum theory question reaction reference relation representation represented result scanning tunneling microscopes Scerri Schrödinger equation Schummer scientific scientists sense space spatial specific Studies theoretical University Press Virial theorem wave