from the elemental school textbooks. This experiment in the isolated system is
far-reaching. When the candle is burnt, the water level ascends for one fifth of the
volume. Mayow has performed a series of similar experiments in the isolated
systems, i.e. under the Ceteris paribus conditions. In such a way Mayow made the
chemical experiment quantitative. He has accurately measured the volumes and
masses of the reactants (the substances whith which begins chemical reaction) and
products. It can be recognized from the documents, that Mayow had de facto
already discovered that the air consists from two different components, of which
one participates in combustion by fixing itself in the burnt substances. The final
discovery of oxygen and its role in combustion was already forthcoming.
Quantification of the experiment has been the step by which chemistry, although
it was traditionally established on the qualitative observations, became mathematized by using the fundamental principles of physical methodology. Chemistry and
physics begun to be overlapped in methodology. However, this fact does not mean
that chemistry and physics were unified in their epistemology, i.e. that new
chemical laws and concepts became reducible on, or deducible from physical laws.
Newton’s alchemical experiments have been an unsuccessful attempt to unify these
two epistemologies, as it was discussed in fifth lecture of this book.
7.1 Conclusions
Starting from the Robert Boyle’s law about the relation between the volume and
pressure of gases I argue that the scientific laws and concepts are possible only
within the model system with a priori defined conditions. In Boyle’s example, all
the parameters except the volume and pressure should be fixed. This principle, the
ceteris paribus principle, is one of the basic tools in scientific epistemology.
References
1. Boyle R (1772) The Works, T. Birch, ed. reprint (1965) Hildesheim
2. van Brakel J (2000) Scerri E, McIntyre L, (eds.) Philosophy of chemistry. Boston Studies in the
philosophy and history of science, p 306
3. van Brakel J (2012) Chemical engineering science, p 540. In: Thagard P, Woody A, Findlay
Hendry R, Woods J, Needham P (eds) Philosophy of science. Elsevier
7 Ceteris Paribus
61
far-reaching. When the candle is burnt, the water level ascends for one fifth of the
volume. Mayow has performed a series of similar experiments in the isolated
systems, i.e. under the Ceteris paribus conditions. In such a way Mayow made the
chemical experiment quantitative. He has accurately measured the volumes and
masses of the reactants (the substances whith which begins chemical reaction) and
products. It can be recognized from the documents, that Mayow had de facto
already discovered that the air consists from two different components, of which
one participates in combustion by fixing itself in the burnt substances. The final
discovery of oxygen and its role in combustion was already forthcoming.
Quantification of the experiment has been the step by which chemistry, although
it was traditionally established on the qualitative observations, became mathematized by using the fundamental principles of physical methodology. Chemistry and
physics begun to be overlapped in methodology. However, this fact does not mean
that chemistry and physics were unified in their epistemology, i.e. that new
chemical laws and concepts became reducible on, or deducible from physical laws.
Newton’s alchemical experiments have been an unsuccessful attempt to unify these
two epistemologies, as it was discussed in fifth lecture of this book.
7.1 Conclusions
Starting from the Robert Boyle’s law about the relation between the volume and
pressure of gases I argue that the scientific laws and concepts are possible only
within the model system with a priori defined conditions. In Boyle’s example, all
the parameters except the volume and pressure should be fixed. This principle, the
ceteris paribus principle, is one of the basic tools in scientific epistemology.
References
1. Boyle R (1772) The Works, T. Birch, ed. reprint (1965) Hildesheim
2. van Brakel J (2000) Scerri E, McIntyre L, (eds.) Philosophy of chemistry. Boston Studies in the
philosophy and history of science, p 306
3. van Brakel J (2012) Chemical engineering science, p 540. In: Thagard P, Woody A, Findlay
Hendry R, Woods J, Needham P (eds) Philosophy of science. Elsevier
7 Ceteris Paribus
61