Collected Papers on Philosophy of Chemistry

The following sections are included:

• Dedication

• Acknowledgements

• Contents

The following sections are included:

• The present volume

• Section A. Philosophy of Chemistry and the Question of Reduction

• Section B. Periodic Table, Electronic Configurations and the Elements

• Section C. Realism and Anti-Realism, and Educational Issues in Philosophy of Chemistry

• References

The philosophy of chemistry has been sadly neglected by most contempory literature in the philosophy of science. This paper argues that this neglect has been unfortunate and that there is much to be learned from paying greater philosophical attention to the set of issues defined by the philosophy of chemistry. The potential contribution of this field to such current topics as reduction, laws, explanation, and supervenience is explored, as are possible applications of insights gained by such study to the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of social science.

The chemical nature of element 72, subsequently named hafnium, is generally regarded as a prediction from Bohr's theory of the periodic system and hence as a prediction from quantum theory. It is argued that both of these views and in particular the latter are mistaken. The claim in favour of Bohr's theory is weakened by his accommodation of independent chemical arguments and the claim in favour of quantum theory is untenable since the prediction is not strictly deductive.

The following sections are included:

• Introduction

• Quantum Chemistry

• Convergence and Error Bounds

• The case of the CH₂ molecule

• The Si₂C story

• Conclusion

• Notes

• References

Two articles on the reduction of chemistry are examined. The first, by McLaughlin, claims that chemistry is reduced to physics and that there is no evidence for emergence or for downward causation between the chemical and the physical level. In a more recent article Le Poidevin maintains that his combinatorial approach provides grounding for the ontological reduction of chemistry and also circumvents some limitations in the physicalist program. In examining the scientific issues that each author has discussed the present author finds some shortcomings in both of these approaches.

Although the periodic system of elements is central to the study of chemistry and has been influential in the development of quantum theory and quantum mechanics, its study has been largely neglected in philosophy of science. The present article is a detailed criticism of one notable exception, an attempt by Hettema and Kuipers to axiomatize the periodic table and to discuss the reduction of chemistry in this context.

The following sections are included:

• THE PERIODIC TABLE AS A PAPER TOOL

• THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PERlODIC TABLE AND THE ROLE OF PREDICTlONS

• PRE-HISTORY OF THE PERIODIC SYSTEM

• FROM TRIADS TO HORIZONTAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE EMERGENCE OF THE PERIODIC SYSTEM

• DÖBEREINER DISCOVERS TRIADS

• ATOMIC WEIGHTS AND EQUIVALENT WEIGHTS

• WHY WERE TRIADS DISCOVERED BEFORE HORIZONTAL RELATIONSHIPS?

• GMELIN'S REMARKABLE SYSTEM

• REPRESENTATION

• CONCLUSION

• NOTES

• REFERENCES

The following sections are included:

• Realism, Atomic Orbitals, and Chemical Education

• Has the Modern Periodic System Been Reduced to Quantum Mechanics?

• Paneth on Naive Realism and Transcendental Elements

• Early Element Schemes, Especially the Nineteenth-Century Version

• Paneth's Own Intermediate Position: Isotopy and the New Element Scheme

• Replaceability

• Paneth's New Element Scheme

• Conclusion

• Notes

• References

The following sections are included:

• INTRODUCTION

• THE AIM OF THIS WORK

• FIRST AN ELEMENTARY APPROACH

• HOW DOES THIS EXPLAIN THE FORM OF THE PERIODIC TABLE?

• TRANSITION METAL CONFIGURATIONS

• HOW ARE CONFIGURATIONS DERIVED FROM THE THEORY?

• COPPER ATOM

• NICKEL ATOM

• CHOICE OF BASIS SET

• QUALITATIVE EXPLANATION OF PERIODIC TABLE IN TERMS OF ELECTRONS IN SHELLS

• NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT CONDITIONS

• AB INITIO CALCULATIONS BASED ON WAVEFUNCTIONS

• DENSITY FUNCTIONAL APPROACH

• DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY IN PRACTICE

• CONCLUSION

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

• NOTES

• REFERENCES

There is now a considerable body of published work on the epistemology of modern chemistry, especially with regard to the nature of quantum chemistry. In addition, the question of the metaphysical underpinnings of chemistry has received a good deal of attention. The present article concentrates on metaphysical considerations including the question of whether elements and groups of elements are natural kinds. It is also argued that an appeal to the metaphysical nature of elements can help clarify the re-emerging controversies among chemists regarding the placement of the elements hydrogen and helium in the periodic system and the question of whether there exists a best form of the periodic table.

Whereas most scientists are highly critical of constructivism and relativism in the context of scientific knowledge acquisition, the dominant school of chemical education researchers appears to support a variety of such positions. By reference to the views of Herron, Spencer, and Bodner, I claim that these authors are philosophically confused, and that they are presenting a damaging and anti-scientific message to other unsuspecting educators. Part of the problem, as I argue, is a failure to distinguish between pedagogical constructivism regarding students' understanding of science, and constructivism about the way that scientific knowledge is acquired by expert scientists.

The main thrust of the paper involves a theoretical and philosophical analysis of the claim made in September 1999 that atomic orbitals have been directly imaged for the first time. After a brief account of the recent claims the paper reviews the development of the orbit and later orbital concepts and analyzes the theoretical status of atomic orbitals. The conclusion is that contrary to these claims, atomic orbitals have not in fact been observed. The non-referring nature of modem atomic orbitals is discussed in the context of Laudan's writings on realism, the success of theories, and whether or not scientific terms refer. I conclude that the failure to observe orbitals is a good prima facie case for divorcing the success of theories from the question of whether their central terms refer. The added relevance of this case is that it concerns a current and highly successful theory. Finally, the relevance of this 'floating model' to contemporary discussions on scientific models is briefly considered.

The following sections are included:

• INTRODUCTION

• CHEMISTRY?

• FROM NORMATIVE TO NATURALISTIC

• FROM NATURALISTIC TO NORMATIVE: THE REDUCTION OF CHEMISTRY

• CONCLUSION

• NOTES

• REFERENCES

The following sections are included:

• Index