Abstract
In the philosophy of chemistry a view is developed according to which laws of nature and scientific theories are peculiar in chemistry. This view was criticized in an earlier issue of the Foundations of Chemistry (Vihalemm, Foundation of Chemistry 5(1): 7–22, 2003) referring to an essay by Maureen and John Christie (Christie and Christie, in N. Bushan and S. Rosenfeld (Eds.), Of Minds and Molecules: New Philosophical Perspectives on Chemistry. Oxford University Press, New York, 2000, pp. 34–50). This criticism was responded by the Christies (Christie and Christie, Foundations of Chemistry 5(2): 165–177, 2003). In the present article the debate is continued. The main issues which need to be elucidated in order to carry the analysis forward are pointed out and discussed. The relevance of a theoretical model of science for the philosophy of chemistry is stressed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
A.F Chalmers (1982) What Is This Thing Called Science? An Assessment of the Nature and Status of Science and Its Methods EditionNumber2 Open University Press Milton Keynes and Philadelphia
J.R Christie M Christie (2003) ArticleTitleChemical Laws and Theories: A Response to Vihalemm Foundations of Chemistry 5 IssueID2 165–177 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1023631726532
M Christie J.R Christie (2000) Laws and Theories in Chemistry Do Not Obey the Rules N Bushan S Rosenfeld (Eds) Of Minds and Molecules: New Philosophical Perspectives on Chemistry Oxford University Press New York 34–50
R.N Giere (1988) Explaining Science: A Cognitive Approach The University of Chicago Press Chicago and London
B.S. Gryaznov. Logic, Rationality, Creativity. Moscow: Nauka, [in Russian] 1982.
J Rouse (1996) Engaging Science: How to Understand Its Practices Philosophically Cornell University Press Ithaca and London
J Rouse (2002) How Scientific Practices Matter: Reclaiming Philosophical Naturalism The University of Chicago Press Chicago and London
J Rouse (2003) Kuhn’s Philosophy of Scientific Practice T Nickles (Eds) Thomas Kuhn Cambridge University Press Cambridge 101–121
R Vihalemm (1999) Can Chemistry Be Handled As Its Own Type of Science? N Psarros K Gavroglu (Eds) Ars Mutandi – Issues in Philosophy and History of Chemistry Leipziger Universitätsverlag Leipzig 83–88
R Vihalemm (2001) Chemistry As an Interesting Subject for the Philosophy of Science R Vihalemm (Eds) Estonian Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science. (Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 219) Kluwer Academic Publishers Dordrecht/Boston/London 185–200
R Vihalemm (2003) ArticleTitleAre Laws of Nature and Scientific Theories Peculiar in Chemistry? Scrutinizing Mendeleev’s Discovery Foundations of Chemistry 5 IssueID1 7–22 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1021980526951
R Vihalemm (2004) The Problem of the Unity of Science and Chemistry D Sobczyńska P Zeidler E Zielonacka-Lis (Eds) Chemistry in the Philosophical Melting Pot. (Dia-Logos: Studies in Philosophy and Social Sciences, Vol. 5) Peter Lang Europäischer Verlag der Wissenschaften Frankfurt am Main 39–58
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vihalemm, R. Chemistry and a Theoretical Model of Science: On the Occasion of a Recent Debate with the Christies. Found Chem 7, 171–182 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10698-005-0959-y
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10698-005-0959-y