Philosophy of ChemistryA New Interdisciplinary Field? Eric R. Scerri Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 Chemistry and philosophy, which may seem to be very different disciplines, have recently undergone a rapprochement with the rebirth of philosophy of chemistry. This article discusses recent developments in this new interdisciplinary field, including work on the alleged reduction of chemistry to quantum mechanics, the role of models, naive realism, and the question of molecular structure. It is argued that as chemistry continues to grow in sophistication, these and other conceptual issues become increasingly important to chemical educators at all levels. Citation : Scerri, Eric R. Philosophy of ChemistryA New Interdisciplinary Field? J. Chem. Educ. Keywords : General Chemistry; History / Philosophy; Periodicity / Periodic Table; Quantum Chemistry; Theoretical Chemistry April 2000 Vol. 77 No. 4 p. 522 Current Issue Past Issues Supplements Features ... Site Info Last Updated: March 14, 2000 Created: March 2, 2000 | |
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