engleski

Atomism of Lucretius seen through the eyes of a modern physical chemist

The classical atomistic philosophy laid out by Titus Lucretius Carus in his masterpiece De rerum natura bears a striking resemblance to modern chemical and physical sciences. In this Essay, Lucretius' verses are compared to some of the basic concepts of modern physical chemistry, such as the concept of the chemical element, bonding between atoms, differences of microscopic and macroscopic properties, kinetic model of matter (including an early description of Brownian motion), and crystal growth. Although based on observation, rather than on experiment, atomism of Lucretius is conceptually closer to the 19th century science than to Aristotelean philosophy prevalent until the Renaissance.

Lucretius ; atomism ; physical chemistry

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