波义耳将“微粒说”与“实验”相结合的自然哲学分析

A Natural Philosophical Analysis of Boyle’s Combination of“Corpuscular Theory”and the“Experiments”

波义耳把微粒说与实验结合起来,这不单纯出于宗教神学旨意,也是因为实验现象或事物性质需要机械论的微粒说加以说明和解释。波义耳把实验从哲学的统领中解放出来,一改传统的哲学自然观先验地裁决经验的局面。波义耳基于实验的事实、哲学的思辨以及神学的考虑,否定他之前的“元素说”之本原性的那些“元素”存在,运用微粒说解释实验,并以此表明实验和微粒说的合理性。微粒说是分层级的,作为“中间原因”或“低级原因”之微粒说更多以及更紧密地与实验相关联,也能够更有效地解释实验现象和宏观物质的性质。据此,波义耳把化学确立为科学。

That Boyle combined corpuscular theory with the experiments is not only out of religious theology,but also due to the fact that experimental phenomena or the nature of things need to be explained by mechanistic corpuscular theory.Boyle liberated the experiments from the control of philosophy,and changed the situation that the traditional philosophy of nature judged experience transcendentally.Based on the fact of experiments,philosophical speculation and theological consideration,Boyle denied the existence of“element”which is the original of“element theory”.He used corpuscular theory to explain the experiments and showed the rationality of the experiments and corpuscular theory.Corpuscular theory is hierarchical.As an“intermediate cause”or“low-level cause”,corpuscular theory is more and more closely related to the experiments,and can more effectively explain experimental phenomena and the properties of macro materials.Accordingly,Boyle established chemistry as a science.