Abstract

As to whether "Boyle gave the scientific definition of an element for the first time", there have been two opposite judgments in the history of science. Among them, the misjudgment that "Boyle gave the scientific definition of an element" is the first proposed and most widely spread one. The reason for this event is rooted in Boyle. First of all, he was in a dilemma of not being able to negate the concept of element through experiments and not being able to affirm the concept of particle through experiments. Secondly, it had to do with his unique writing style. All of these led to the scholars' silence to Boyer's material theory in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the harsh criticism from Sir Herschel of England and the misjudgment of Kopp of Germany in the 1830s. In the 1940s, Boas, an American woman doctoral student of history of science, first corrected the misjudgment by reconstructing Boyle's particle philosophy.

Key Words

Boyle; Element; Particle; Herschel; Kopp; Boas

Citation: Feng, X., Wang, J., Gao, C. 'The Beginning and End of the Event of Boyle's Definition of an Element' [J]. Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 2018, 40(10): 7-16.

Download: The Beginning and End of the Event of Boyle's Definition of an Element