The Ignis Fatuus^a of Reduction and Unification

Abstract

Given the enormous variety of possible intertheoretical relations, the proliferation of definitions of reduction, supervenience, emergence, unification, and so on, as well as the fact that empirical studies have provided support for almost any metaphysical option or, alternatively, have shown rather conclusively that empirically the case is inconclusive, I suggest a moratorium on the use of words such as "reduction," "supervenience," and "unification" and to go back to the rough ground and give perspicuous renderings of the practice of chemistry. What is needed are very detailed case studies and further discussions about them, instead of bickering about whether chemistry can be reduced to physics, supervenes on it, can be unified with it, and similar "metaphysical" concerns.

Los límites del reduccionismo en Química

“…Al mismo tiempo, las nociones de 'emergencia' (LUISI, 2002;BISHOP, 2005) y 'superveniencia' (NEWMAN, 2008) se han propuesto para comprender la relación entre mundo químico y mundo físico. 2 En este complejo escenario, se ha argumentado que, dada la enorme variedad de posibles relaciones interteóricas, la proliferación de definiciones de reducción, superveniencia, emergencia, unificación, etc., un posible camino a seguir es brindar representaciones perspicaces de la práctica de la química, vale decir, analizar casos de estudio y los nuevos debates acerca de ellos, en lugar de proseguir con disputas acerca de si la química puede ser reducida a la física, superviene de ella o ambas disciplinas pueden unificarse, y preocupaciones 'metafísicas' similares (VAN BRAKEL, 2003). Según Van Brakel ( 2003), la pregunta '¿Puede reducirse la química a la física?'…”

Atoms and bonds in molecules and chemical explanations

“…In the hierarchy of sciences, chemistry, is generally ranked after physics. As pointed out by van Brakel (van Brakel, 2003) This prejudice goes back to Kant's view that science is "proper" to the extent that mathematics is applied within it. According to Kant, chemistry is rational (because it uses logical reasoning), though not a proper science, because it misses the basis of mathematics and the synthetic a priori chemistry is an uneigentliche Wissenschaft -an "improper" science.…”