The variety of atomism especially associated with Boyle, and expounded in his Sceptical Chemist (1661) and The Origin and Form of Qualities (1666). Boyle held that all material substances are composed of minute corpuscles, themselves possessing shape, size, and motion. The different properties of materials would arise from different combinations and collisions of corpuscles: chemical properties, such as solubility, would be explicable by the mechanical interactions of corpuscles, just as the capacity of a key to turn a lock is explained by their respective shapes. In Boyle's hands the idea is opposed to the Aristotelian theory of elements and principles, which he regarded as untestable and sterile. His approach is a precursor of modern chemical atomism, and had immense influence on Locke. However, Locke recognized the need for a different kind of force guaranteeing the cohesion of atoms, and both this and the interactions between such atoms were criticized by Leibniz. See also action at a distance, field.
Corpuscularianism
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Corpuscularianism is the postulate, expounded in a predominant manner by the thirteenth-century Italian Franciscan alchemist Geber (a name modeled on Jabir ibn Hayyan (721-815)), that all physical bodies possess an inner and outer layer of minute particles or corpuscles.[1] Corpuscularianism is similar to the theory atomism, except that where atoms were supposed to be indivisible, corpuscles could in principle be divided. In this manner, for example, it was theorized that mercury could penetrate into metals and modify their inner structure, a step on the way towards transmutative production of gold. Corpuscularianism was associated by its leading proponents with the idea that some of the properties that objects appear to have are artifacts of the perceiving mind: 'secondary' qualities as distinguished from 'primary' qualities.[2] Corpuscularianism stayed a dominant theory over the next several hundred years and was blended with alchemy by those as Robert Boyle and Isaac Newton in the 17th century.[1][3] It was used by Newton, for instance, in his development of the corpuscular theory of light.
Sources
- ^ a b Levere, Trevor, H. (2001). Transforming Matter – A History of Chemistry for Alchemy to the Buckyball. The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-6610-3.
- ^ The Mechanical Philosophy - Early modern 'atomism' ("corpuscularianism" as it was known)
- ^ Corpuscularianism - Philosophical Dictionary
See also
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
 | Kenelm Digby (philosophy) |
| matter (philosophy) |
| Marcello Malpighi (history 1450-1789) |
 | Is Corpuscularianism very good choose? |
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Mentioned in
- Kenelm Digby (philosophy)
- matter (philosophy)
- Marcello Malpighi (history 1450-1789)
- Alchemy (history 1450-1789)
- Anatomy and Physiology (history 1450-1789)
- Corpuscular theory of light
- The World (Descartes)
- Atomism
