康德前批判时期的物质理论

Kant’s Theory of Matter in the Pre-critical Period

康德前批判时期的物质理论可以被重构为一种形而上学演绎体系,而康德在回应基本物质可分性之争的过程中提出了自己的物质理论。康德将本质的自然力视为形而上学第一原则,将基本物质确立为由此自然力的作用范围所规定的物理单子。物理单子具有广延性,通过力的作用范围填充空间,以力壳原子在场。虽然力壳原子所填充的空间在几何学意义上无限可分,但力壳原子本身在物理学意义上不可再分。力壳原子的中心点不存在坚硬的微粒,处处存在的只是力的作用。康德的这种物质理论由于其既缺乏实验依据又缺乏数学演绎而失败,但在科学思想史中以及在康德哲学的研究中具有重要的理论意义。

Kant's theory of matter in the pre-critical period can be reconstructed as a kind of metaphysical deduction system,and Kant put forward his own theory of matter in responding to the process of debate on the infinite divisibility and indivisibility of elemental matter.Force being the first principle of his metaphysics,Kant conceptualized the elemental matter as a physical monad,a force-shell atom,fixated by a sphere of force,extending through space and filling the space by different degree of force.Though the space occupied by a force-shell atom is infinitely divisible geometrically,the force-shell atom itself is indivisible physically.Force-shell atom essentially is a region of natural force without any kind of hard internal substance and there is nothing in space but fields of force.Although the early Kant's theory of matter has failed due to the lack of experiment and mathematization,it still has significant relevance to the research of the history of scientific ideas and the philosophy of Kant.