Tuesday,
30 September 2003
An Epistemological History of Atomism
Alan Chalmers, Flinders University
12:05 pm,817R Cathedral of Learning
Abstract:
In this talk
I will survey some of the epistemological issues associated with
various versions of atomism from the seventeenth through to the
early twentieth centuries. Issues will include the status of the
seventeenth century versions of atomism and their relationship to
the physics and chemistry of the period, the status of nineteenth
century atomic chemistry and the rationale for opposition to the
atomic hypothesis, especially in the light of Gibbs' thermodynamics,
the significance of Perrin's experiments, and the status of atomic
chemistry after those experiments. This history is intended to contribute
to a fine-tuned account of confirmation in science and a clear distinction
between science and philosophy.
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