structures in chemical reaction. One of the most contradictory and unsolved
problems of classical structural chemistry has been the problem of the structure of
the benzene molecule. Robinson and Arndt, the scientists about which I will talk in
one of the last lectures in this book, have proposed that the structure of the benzene
molecule (and later the structures of a series of similar molecules) is better
described as a “superposition“ of higher number of classical structural formulas (see
the Figure below). However, for the description of a particular reaction way that is
under the investigation, we are constrained to use only the particular of these
structures, say it could be a sort of the “collapse of such superposition”.
Clearly, scientific revolutions from quite unknown reasons appear simultaneously in different fields of research and intellectual activities.
By looking on quantum mechanics and mechanistic chemistry from the metaphysical level, the same concepts of reasoning appear, in spite to the historical fact
that they were developed by quite different epistemologies, from the mathematical
manipulations, or from the abstractions of molecular structures that have developed
in chemistry simply by systematization of substances.
As I have already discussed, the concerns about chemistry as an authentic science were based also on the question of the ability of this discipline to formulate
laws. Do chemical laws exist? First of all, it should be necessary to explain the
nature of scientific laws. Are the scientific laws exclusively mathematical formulations? Isn’t chemistry the discipline, which has extended the definition of scientific laws from the strict mathematical formulations to other modes of
abstractions, such as the creation of special languages? For instance, is it possible to
use every particular chemical reaction mechanism as a sort of chemical, thus,
scientific law?
To conclude, physics and chemistry origin from different groups of senses of the
surrounding, the quantifiable senses of space and time, and the senses that cannot be
quantified simply, colour, taste, heat etc. This is the base from which the contemporary science has been developed.
Representations of benzene molecule proposed by Robinson and Arndt. Every of the
structures makes sense only in combination with other structures
16
1 Chemistry and Philosophy of Science
problems of classical structural chemistry has been the problem of the structure of
the benzene molecule. Robinson and Arndt, the scientists about which I will talk in
one of the last lectures in this book, have proposed that the structure of the benzene
molecule (and later the structures of a series of similar molecules) is better
described as a “superposition“ of higher number of classical structural formulas (see
the Figure below). However, for the description of a particular reaction way that is
under the investigation, we are constrained to use only the particular of these
structures, say it could be a sort of the “collapse of such superposition”.
Clearly, scientific revolutions from quite unknown reasons appear simultaneously in different fields of research and intellectual activities.
By looking on quantum mechanics and mechanistic chemistry from the metaphysical level, the same concepts of reasoning appear, in spite to the historical fact
that they were developed by quite different epistemologies, from the mathematical
manipulations, or from the abstractions of molecular structures that have developed
in chemistry simply by systematization of substances.
As I have already discussed, the concerns about chemistry as an authentic science were based also on the question of the ability of this discipline to formulate
laws. Do chemical laws exist? First of all, it should be necessary to explain the
nature of scientific laws. Are the scientific laws exclusively mathematical formulations? Isn’t chemistry the discipline, which has extended the definition of scientific laws from the strict mathematical formulations to other modes of
abstractions, such as the creation of special languages? For instance, is it possible to
use every particular chemical reaction mechanism as a sort of chemical, thus,
scientific law?
To conclude, physics and chemistry origin from different groups of senses of the
surrounding, the quantifiable senses of space and time, and the senses that cannot be
quantified simply, colour, taste, heat etc. This is the base from which the contemporary science has been developed.
Representations of benzene molecule proposed by Robinson and Arndt. Every of the
structures makes sense only in combination with other structures
16
1 Chemistry and Philosophy of Science