Are acids natural kinds?
Résumé
Are acids natural kinds? Or are they merely relevant kinds? Although acidity has been one of the oldest and most important concepts in chemistry, surprisingly little ink has been spilled on the natural kind question. I approach the question from the perspective of microstructural essentialism. After explaining why both Brønsted acids and Lewis acids are considered functional kinds, I address the challenges of multiple realisation and multiple determination. Contra Manafu and Hendry, I argue that the stereotypical properties of acids are not multiply realised. Instead, given the equivalence between the proton-donating and electron-accepting mechanisms of Brønsted and Lewis, respectively, I show that acidity as a property type can be identified with a unique microstructural property, namely the presence of a LUMO or other low energy empty orbital. In doing so, I defend the view that the Lewis theory encompasses Brønsted–Lowry, and that all Brønsted acids are also Lewis acids. Contra Hacking and Chang, I thus maintain that the different concepts of acidity do not crosscut, and that the hierarchy requirement is met. Finally, by characterising natural kinds as powerful objects and by adopting a dispositional view of functions, I illustrate how the microessentialist can make sense of the latent and relational character of most acids. In sum, I contend that acids are genuine natural kinds, even for the microstructural essentialist.
Mots clés
Brønsted-Lowry acids Lewis acids primary acid secondary acid natural kinds functional kinds chemical kinds bifurcating kinds essentialism microstructuralism microessentialism multiple realization multiple determination ontological reductionism hierarchy requirement protonism electronism amphoterism dispositional properties powers
Brønsted-Lowry acids
Lewis acids
primary acid
secondary acid
natural kinds
functional kinds
chemical kinds
bifurcating kinds
essentialism
microstructuralism
microessentialism
multiple realization
multiple determination
ontological reductionism
hierarchy requirement
protonism
electronism
amphoterism
dispositional properties
powers
Domaines
PhilosophieOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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