How Scientific is Chemistry? Sebastian Kozuch Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 841051, Israel.
[email protected] To my father, who loves philosophy and science, but is not really engaged into philosophy of science. Abstract ϕ for philosophy, χ for chemistry. Is there a connection? Is there any interaction? Do chemists have something useful to learn from philosophers? Do philosophers from chemists? How can we define if chemistry is a science, or at least trustworthy? Which disciplines, styles and personalities are progressive in chemistry? Which ones are truth-seekers, progress-seekers or profit-seekers? Is there a point in asking these questions? Is there even an answer to them? Introduction composing it in a light tone, with more interest in presenting an overall idea and having an amusing reading than in seeking for Yes, of course chemistry is a science. That is beyond the point. accuracy or completeness (this is for you, reviewer two! 1). In The question is not if it is a science, but how good a science is it. doing so, and slightly in the style of some renaissance discussion Or, as we can put it, what is the scientificity level of chemistry, a books, I will introduce two characters that will aid in the depiction term defined as the degree or quality of the discipline or project of concepts and viewpoints: Tris the Chemist, and her workmate, (compare to “viscosity”, “luminosity” or “exergonicity”). To be clear, Kris the Chemist. Tris and Kris will act as different persons on in some sense chemistry might even be considered the top each section, always contradicting the other, always showing a science: It does not confront the complete unknown solely with different style of chemists, always believing their way is the best statistical analysis, such as in many areas of life sciences, and it way (any similarity to actual persons is purely coincidental; or does not participate in purely esoterical mathematics, such as in maybe not).