Structure, essence and existence in chemistry

Hendry, Robin Findlay

Abstract

Philosophers have often debated the truth of microstructural essentialism about chemical substances: whether or not the structure of a chemical substance at the molecular scale is what makes it the substance it is. Oddly they have tended to pursue this debate without identifying what a structure is, and with some confusion and about what a chemical substance is. In this paper I draw on chemistry to rectify those omissions, providing a pluralist account of structure, clarifying what (according to chemistry) a chemical substance is and defending microstructural essentialism, as I understand that position. I then give an account of the existence of composite substances and objects in chemistry, an issue that goes back to Aristotle.

Citation

Hendry, R. F. (2023). Structure, essence and existence in chemistry. Ratio: An international journal of analytic philosophy, 36(4), 274-288. https://doi.org/10.1111/rati.12387

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 7, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Aug 25, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-12
• Deposit Date: Aug 31, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 31, 2023
• Journal: Ratio: An International Journal of Analytic Philosophy
• Print ISSN: 0034-0006
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-9329
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 274-288
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/rati.12387
• Keywords: Philosophy
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1727131