HPS211H1 Lecture Notes - Chemical Revolution, Western Esotericism, Phlogiston Theory
5 Mar 2013
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Lecture 4: the chemical revolution: lavoisier"s oxygen chemistry. The chemical revolution: chemistry : the science of substance. Interchangeably called alchemy : both referred to science of substantial change. Esotericism and secrecy : there were lots of secrecy involved, people wanted to capitalize this. People would encode it even further once they found out it was novel. Alchemy vs. chemistry: alchemy about taking one thing and changing it into another. Chemistry as taxonomy: identification, classification of substances. People didn"t always think of it this way. Richard boyle: demonstrate the futility of two systems: didn"t come up with any system of his own, pneumatic chemistry : the chemistry of air or gas. Hales: pneumatic troph, air as the homogenous substance. Joseph black: unlike hales, air as having different properties sometimes. Air came in varieties with different substances: fixed air like carbon dioxide, balance scale, priestley"s phlogiston chemistry : didn"t want to give up on chemistry.
