Plenitude philosophy and chemical elements

TY - JOUR

T1 - Plenitude philosophy and chemical elements

AU - Kragh, Helge Stjernholm

PY - 2019/6

Y1 - 2019/6

N2 - According to the principle of plenitude, or what in a different version is also known as the totalitarian principle, what can possibly exist does actually exist. This metaphysical idea has in the past played an important heuristic role in the life sciences and can still be found in some areas of modern science. The paper critically examines how chemical ideas about elements and their compounds have on occasions been inspired by plenitude reasoning if mostly implicitly. The emergence and interpretation of the periodic table is one case and the existence of exotic forms of matter, such as muonium and superheavy elements, is another. Generally the principle of plenitude problematizes the fundamental ontological notion of what it means for a chemical entity to exist in nature.

AB - According to the principle of plenitude, or what in a different version is also known as the totalitarian principle, what can possibly exist does actually exist. This metaphysical idea has in the past played an important heuristic role in the life sciences and can still be found in some areas of modern science. The paper critically examines how chemical ideas about elements and their compounds have on occasions been inspired by plenitude reasoning if mostly implicitly. The emergence and interpretation of the periodic table is one case and the existence of exotic forms of matter, such as muonium and superheavy elements, is another. Generally the principle of plenitude problematizes the fundamental ontological notion of what it means for a chemical entity to exist in nature.

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1433-5158

VL - 25

SP - 1

EP - 20

JO - Hyle

JF - Hyle

IS - 1

ER -