期刊名称：Hyle : International Journal for Philosophy of Chemistry
印刷版ISSN：1433-5158
出版年度：2012
卷号：18
期号：1
页码：1-2
出版社：HYLE Publications, Karlsruhe and University of Karlsruhe
摘要：The appearance of three scientific journals devoted to mathematical chemis-try, the foundation of an academy of mathematical chemistry, various books on the subject as well as regular conferences all testify to the establishment of an international community of mathematical chemistry since the mid-20thcentury and a new subdiscipline, according to standard criteria of discipline formation. Philosophers of the past, particularly Kant and Comte, have pondered on the relationship between mathematics and chemistry, usually pointing out their radically different epistemologies. It is perhaps the distinction between a priori and a posteriori knowledge, which both research fields each appear to exemplify, that kept mathematicians and chemists largely apart from each other, which contrasts with the early establishment of mathematical physics. The delay suggests possible epistemological barriers between the two fields, which philosophical and historical analysis might help understand and per-haps eventually overcome. From the received mainstream philosophy of science point of view, which was largely a philosophy of mathematical physics, the mathematization of science was simply taken for granted. That there could be barriers in the real sciences, not only in chemistry but also in biology among others, was beyond the horizon. As the aim of this journal is to contemplate on philosophical issues of chemistry that are pressing in the field, regardless of whether they are mainstream or not, the mathematization of chemistry deserves particular attention.
