牛顿炼金术:高贵的哲学?

Newton's Alchemy:A Noble Philosophy?

就牛顿从事炼金术研究的历程给出一种修正解释。牛顿的炼金术研究从一开始就是以波义耳微粒哲学为理论基础而展开的,不能认定牛顿到了1675年才开始尝试将炼金术与机械论哲学结合起来展开自然哲学研究。在牛顿而言,炼金术是其自然哲学的重要组成部分。在炼金术研究进路上,波义耳重视考察微粒的空间性质以及作用剂的渗透性,而牛顿于1675年后则认为物体的内聚性是因为有种种粒子力存在,因此,他重视考察作用剂的腐蚀性,加强了对酸的研究。

This paper gives a modification for B. J. T. Dobbs' understanding of Newton's alchemy. It points out that the theoretical foundation of Newton's alchemy is Boyle's corpuscular philosophy which, in Newton's case, is not simply a metaphysical hypothesis away from the practice of natural philosophy, and that it is not reasonable to maintain that Newton did not try to unify the alchemical tradition with the mechanical philosophy until 1675. After 1675, Newton turned into a new approach which throws light on the corruptibility rather than the penetrability of alchemical agents, and that tells where Newton's probe on alchemy differs from Boyle's.