Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T00:51:55.940Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Patching Physics and Chemistry Together

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Robert C. Bishop
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The “usual story” regarding molecular chemistry is that it is roughly an application of quantum mechanics. That is to say, quantum mechanics supplies everything necessary and sufficient, both ontologically and epistemologically, to reduce molecular chemistry to quantum mechanics. This is a reductive story, to be sure, but a key explanatory element of molecular chemistry, namely molecular structure, is absent from the quantum realm. On the other hand, typical characterizations of emergence, such as the unpredictability or inexplicability of molecular structure based on quantum mechanics, do not characterize the relationship between molecular chemistry and quantum mechanics well either. A different scheme for characterizing reduction and emergence is proposed that accommodates the relationship between quantum mechanics and molecular chemistry and some initial objections to the scheme are considered.

Type
Topics in Philosophy of Physics
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 72 , Issue 5: Proceedings of the 2004 Biennial Meeting of The Philosophy of Science Association. Part I: Contributed Papers , December 2005 , pp. 710 - 722
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

‡

Early versions of this paper were presented at the British Society for the Philosophy of Science Annual Meeting and the Popper Seminar in the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method at the London School of Economics. Engaging discussions with Harald Atmanspacher, Fred Kronz, Carl Gillett, Hans Primas, and Michael Silberstein are gratefully acknowledged. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation as well as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Program for the Investment in the Future of the German Government provided much appreciated financial support.

References

Amann, A. (1993), “The Gestalt Problem in Quantum Theory: Generation of Molecular Shape by the Environment”, The Gestalt Problem in Quantum Theory: Generation of Molecular Shape by the Environment 97:125–156.Google Scholar
Avertisov, V., Goldanskii, V., and Kuz’min, V. (1991), “Handedness, Origin of Life and Evolution”, Handedness, Origin of Life and Evolution 44(2): 33–41.Google Scholar
Batterman, R. (2002), The Devil in the Details. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Berry, M. (1994), “Asymptotics, Singularities and the Reduction of Theories”, in Prawitz, D., Skyrms, B., and Westerstahl, D. (eds.), Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, IX, Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress of Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Uppsala 1991. Amsterdam: Elsevier, North-Holland, 597–607.Google Scholar
Bishop, R. C. (2006), “The Hidden Premise in the Causal Argument for Physicalism”, The Hidden Premise in the Causal Argument for Physicalism 66:44–52.Google Scholar
Bishop, R. C., and Atmanspacher, H. (forthcoming), “Contextual Emergence in the Description of Properties”.Google Scholar
Born, M., and Oppenheimer, R. (1927), “Zur Quantentheorie der Molekeln”, Zur Quantentheorie der Molekeln 84:457–484.Google Scholar
Cartwright, N. (1994), “Fundamentalism vs. the Patchwork of Laws”, Fundamentalism vs. the Patchwork of Laws 93:279–282.Google Scholar
Cartwright, N. (1999), The Dappled World: A Study of the Boundaries of Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crook, S., and Gillett, C. (2001), “Why Physics Alone Cannot Define the ‘Physical’”, Canadian Journal of Philosophy 31:333–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeCamp, W. H. (1989), “The FDA Perspective on the Development of Stereoisomers”, The FDA Perspective on the Development of Stereoisomers 1:2–6.Google Scholar
Dingle, R. (1973), Asymptotic Expansions: Their Derivation and Interpretation. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Dirac, P. A. M. (1929), “Quantum Mechanics of Many-Electron Systems”, Quantum Mechanics of Many-Electron Systems A123:714–733.Google Scholar
Friedrichs, K. (1955), “Asymptotic Phenomena in Mathematical Physics”, Asymptotic Phenomena in Mathematical Physics 61:485–504.Google Scholar
Gillett, C. (2002), “The Varieties of Emergence: Their Purposes, Obligations and Importance”, The Varieties of Emergence: Their Purposes, Obligations and Importance 65:95–121Google Scholar
Gimzewski, J., and Joachim, C. (1999), “Nanoscale Science of Single Molecules Using Local Probes”, Nanoscale Science of Single Molecules Using Local Probes 283:1683–1688.Google ScholarPubMed
Hendry, R. (1998), “Models and Approximations in Quantum Chemistry”, in Shanks, N. (ed.), Idealization IX: Idealization in Contemporary Physics, Pozna—Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and the Humanities 63. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 123–142.Google Scholar
Kim, J. (1998), Mind in a Physical World: An Essay on the Mind-Body Problem and Mental Causation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kim, J. (1999), “Making Sense of Emergence”, Making Sense of Emergence 95:3–36.Google Scholar
Lehn, J.-M. (2002), “Toward Self-Organization and Complex Matter”, Toward Self-Organization and Complex Matter 295:2400–2403.Google ScholarPubMed
Miller, D. (1974), “Popper’s Qualitative Theory of Verisimilitude”, Popper’s Qualitative Theory of Verisimilitude 25:166–177.Google Scholar
Nagel, E. (1961), The Structure of Science. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Primas, H. (1983), Chemistry, Quantum Mechanics and Reductionism. Berlin: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Primas, H. (1998), “Emergence in Exact Natural Sciences”, Emergence in Exact Natural Sciences 91:83–98.Google Scholar
Smith, D., Babcock, H., and Chu, S. (1999), “Single-Polymer Dynamics in Steady Shear Flow”, Single-Polymer Dynamics in Steady Shear Flow 283:1724–1727.Google ScholarPubMed
Teller, P. (2001), “Twilight of the Perfect Model Model”, Twilight of the Perfect Model Model 55:393–415.Google Scholar
van Gulick, R. (2001), “Reduction, Emergence and Other Recent Options on the Mind/Body Problem”, Reduction, Emergence and Other Recent Options on the Mind/Body Problem 8(9/10): 1–34.Google Scholar
Weiss, S. (1999), “Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Single Biomolecules”, Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Single Biomolecules 283:1676–1683.Google ScholarPubMed
Whitesides, G., and Grzybowski, B. (2002), “Self-Assembly at All Scales”, Self-Assembly at All Scales 295:2418–2421.Google ScholarPubMed
Woolley, R. (1976), “Quantum Theory and Molecular Structure”, Quantum Theory and Molecular Structure 25:27–52.Google Scholar