From the atom to living systems : a chemical and philosophical journey into modern and contemporary science /
"This book represents an original journey beginning from the simple and undifferentiated atom to differentiated atoms, molecules, macromolecules, and the thresholds of life. One of the most important aims of this book is to underline the philosophical function of the concept of molecule. The de...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York, NY :
Oxford University Press,
[2023]
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | "This book represents an original journey beginning from the simple and undifferentiated atom to differentiated atoms, molecules, macromolecules, and the thresholds of life. One of the most important aims of this book is to underline the philosophical function of the concept of molecule. The description of the material world permitted by the concept of structured entity has revolutionized the entire scientific worldview. Moreover, the concept of macromolecule has projected the molecular world toward the threshold of the biological world, and this analysis will also form an integral part of this book. The scientific and epistemological approach toward the molecular world will also serve to link chemistry with philosophy proper. Up to the 19th century, chemistry had enjoyed its own philosophical foundation, which was anchored in the concept of the atom, a concept with a rich philosophical heritage. The 20th-century appropriation of this concept by physicists deprived chemistry of its distinctive philosophical foundation, relegating it to being merely an applied branch of physics. In this regard, we consider the concept of molecular structure to be an exquisitely philosophical concept and the strong point permitting a solid differentiation of chemistry from physics. The recuperation of a fertile relationship between chemistry and philosophy can and must occur around the concept of structured and complex reality. Chemistry can be projected to the cultural vanguard but only if its practitioners once again attend to the conceptual and philosophical concerns within their discipline, albeit without abandoning the technical concerns that are essential to modern science"--Publisher's description. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (vii, 296 pages) |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780197598924 0197598927 9780197598931 0197598935 9780197598917 0197598919 |