Robin Findlay Hendry (Durham) will be presenting a paper at the University of Wollongong's Philosophy Research Seminar series on December 6th. All are welcome to attend.
Title: The Metaphysics of Chemistry When & Where: Thursday, December 6th, 3:30pm in room 19.1003 at the University of Wollongong. Abstract: Microstructuralism is the thesis that the molecular structure of a chemical substance is what makes it what it is. I defend microstructuralism on the grounds that structure is central to modern chemistry: it provides the only systematic basis for nomenclature, classification, and explanation. None of this is to deny that there are other ways to think about substances: it is just that none of these is as good for understanding what substances are made of, and what they do. >From microstructuralism about substances it is a few small steps to the >identification of chemical substances with (properties of) molecular >populations. Chemical substances are ways for molecules to be. But if chemical >substances are (ways for) populations of molecules to be, does this make >chemistry reducible to physics? Clearly not, if reducibility requires the >derivability of chemical facts and principles from physical facts and >principles. Reducibility is questionable in less obvious and more interesting >ways: I argue that the claim that substances (and their structures) are >emergent is at least as well supported by the scientific evidence as >reductionist alternatives. -- Dr. Patrick McGivern Lecturer in Philosophy University of Wollongong p: +61 2 4221 5676 e: [email protected] _______________________________________________ SydPhil mailing list: http://bit.ly/sydphil New archive: http://bit.ly/SydPhilArchive To UNSUBSCRIBE, change your MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS, find ANSWERS TO COMMON PROBLEMS, or visit our ONLINE ARCHIVES, please go to the LIST INFORMATION PAGE: http://bit.ly/sydphil ... and if you can't get to that page, try the EMERGENCY PAGE: http://bit.ly/SydPhilEmergency
