‘Elements, compounds and other chemical kinds’

Hendry, R.F.

Abstract

In this paper I assess the problems and prospects of a microstructural approach to chemical substances. Kripke and Putnam famously claimed that (a) to be gold is to have atomic number 79, and (b) to be water is to be H2O. I relate (a) to the concept of element in the history of chemistry, arguing that the reference of element names is determined by atomic number. Compounds are more difficult: water is so complex and heterogeneous at the molecular level that ‘water is H2O’ seems false. I sketch a response to this problem.

Citation

Hendry, R. (2006). ‘Elements, compounds and other chemical kinds’. Philosophy of Science, 73(5), 864-875. https://doi.org/10.1086/518745

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2006-12
• Deposit Date: Jul 28, 2008
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 28, 2008
• Journal: Philosophy of Science
• Print ISSN: 0031-8248
• Electronic ISSN: 1539-767X
• Publisher: Philosophy of Science Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 73
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 864-875
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/518745
• Keywords: Chemical substances, Natural kinds, Essentialism.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1576272
• Publisher URL: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/PHILSCI/journal/issues/v73n5/730535/brief/730535.abstract.html