The Atom in the History of Human ThoughtOxford University Press, 2001 - 403 pages The concept of the atom is very near scientific bedrock, touching first causes, fundamental principles, our conception of the nature of reality. This book is a translation from the French of a history of atomic thought and theory, from ancient Greece to the present day. Pullman grounds his coverage of scientific theory always in the religious and philosophical context of the times, covering the whole period of Western civilization, including in passing the major scientific philosophies of the Muslim world and India. The transition of atomism from a philosophical position to an experimental science, in the mid-19th century, is well handled, and the coverage is nicely rounded out by a treatment of the first visual proof of atoms' material existence by direct microscopic imaging of individual atoms, about ten years ago. |
Contents
The Greek Miracle | 3 |
Archè the Primordial | 11 |
The Atomists Entry onto the Stage | 31 |
Plato | 49 |
The Antiatomists | 59 |
Principles | 75 |
A FEW SCATTERED REVIVALS DURING | 85 |
The Medieval Christian Atomists | 97 |
Arab Atomism | 107 |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted according Anaximander ancient antiatomists argument Aristotle Aristotle's atomic orbitals atomic theory atomists believed Bohr Bohr's bonds Broglie cause chapter chemical chemistry chemists compounds concept considered constitute corpuscular debate Democritus Descartes Diderot doctrine Duhem earth Einstein electrons elementary particles energy entities Epicurus Epicurus's eternal existence forces four elements fundamental G. W. F. Hegel Galileo Gassendi Greek Heisenberg Histoire History hydrogen hypothesis ideas indivisible infinite instance interactions later laws Leibniz Leucippus Louis de Broglie Lucretius Maimonides material bodies ments modern molecules motion Mutakallimun nature Newton objects observed orbitals Paris particular Paul Valéry phenomena philosophers physics Plato position possible primordial substances principle properties proposed propositions qualities quantum mechanics quantum numbers quarks reality reason rejected role Schrödinger scientific scientists sense shape simple soul space specific structure of matter Thales theory of atoms things thinkers thought tion trans universe void wave function words wrote