Abstract
Modern science includes a detailed theory of atoms and their structure. That theory, which goes well beyond what is directly observable, is nevertheless vindicated by experiment, living up to the stringent standards distinctive of science since its emergence in the seventeenth century. Speculations about an atomic structure of matter were prominent in the speculations of the Ancient Greek philosophers. However, it is very misleading to see the theories of the likes of Democritus as an anticipation of modern atomism. It is also a mistake to see modern atomism as emerging as a result of the development of its ancient precursor over the centuries. The methods of experimental science are quite distinct from the methods involved in the development of philosophical matter theories, from those of Leucippus and Democritus up to those of the seventeenth-century mechanical philosophers and beyond. A scientific version of atomism did not emerge until well into the nineteenth century and we learn much about the nature of science by appreciating this.
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Chalmers, A. (2009). Atomism: Science or Philosophy?. In: The Scientist’s Atom and the Philosopher’s Stone. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 279. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2362-9_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2362-9_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-2361-2
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-2362-9
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