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The Atom in the History of Human Thought

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Amazon.com Review

What's the matter? This was no trivial question for Democritus, generally considered the father of the atom. Like his fellow philosophers in ancient Greece, he was gravely concerned with discovering the nature of the universe through reason and argument, and hence wanted to understand the basic composition of material things. His postulate, that there are minuscule, indivisible units of matter, was revolutionary and resisted by many scientists until the early 20th century. The late Dr. Bernard Pullman, former professor of quantum chemistry at the Sorbonne, presents a challenging, broad-ranging history of this seemingly simple idea in The Atom in the History of Human Thought. The language is remarkably clear, thanks in part to the translation of Axel Reisinger; there are no awkward phrasings or unfamiliar idioms to puzzle the reader. Instead we are told the life story of an idea, one so basic to our modern understanding of the world as to seem almost obvious. But, as Pullman shows us, it was not only resisted but actively suppressed for centuries. From the often-bizarre notions of the ancients (could the universe really be made only of water?) to the equally bizarre concepts of modern atomic theory (is your chair really composed almost entirely of empty space?), with occasional forays into the science of the Islamic and Hindu worlds, he shows many attempts to answer the most fundamental question in science and philosophy. With such a long and controversial history, it's little wonder that we still haven't set matter straight. --Rob Lightner

Review

"Under the guise of tracing the ever-changing fate of atomism from antiquity to our time, Professor Pullman reveals the fascinating story how a key concept of modern science gradually emerged out of an intense interplay between physical science, philosophy, theology, and personal presuppositions. An engrossing and civilizing work."--Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and Professor of History of Science, Harvard University"Bernard Pullman has given us a precious parting gift: a finely wrought and readable account of the greatest of human discoveries--the coaxing out, through deep thought and ingenious experiment, of the nature of atoms."--Roald Hoffman, Professor of Chemistry, Cornell University

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Product details

Hardcover: 403 pages

Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1st edition (January 15, 1998)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0195114477

ISBN-13: 978-0195114478

Product Dimensions:

6.3 x 1.2 x 9.3 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review:

4.5 out of 5 stars

5 customer reviews

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:

#860,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

could have written this opus on the history of atomic theory AND felt compelled to cite the views of both Nietzsche (the phenomenalist Antichrist) and Marx ("Hadrons of the World Unite"??). To round things out, there's even a quote from Levi-Strauss! To be sure, this is a flawed opus. Published posthumously in 1998 (the author died in 1996), the text has a hurried feel to it, as if compiled from notes by an anonymous editor. As a consequence, the coverage is as uneven as the chapter lengths variable. Chapter 6 ("Principles and Primordial Substances") consists of one very helpful figure with a one-paragraph description, together occupying the better part of a single page. The chapter on "Hindu Atomism" (much touted in the pages of the journal, Science) rightly attribues atomism to the Hindu Nyaya-Vaishisheka school. But it neglects the much more prominent place of atomism in Buddhism (with its doctrine of momentariness), devoting only 1/2 page (of 8 total!) to Buddhist thought. In contrast, the chapter on the 20th century takes up nearly 100 pages. On the whole, Western philosophy fares better; yet the hackneyed phrasing of Whitehead's famous quote about footnotes to Plato--"All of Western philosophy is but a long commentary on the writings of Plato" [p.49]--indicates that the translation leaves something to be desired. Still, the work does have its "moments." Part I on the Greek inception of atomic theory, 4 element theory, Platonic/Pythagorean modifications, and the Aristotelean arch-enemy (of undifferentiated substance and divinely impressed form) is excellent, as is Part IV, which focuses on the scientific developments of the 19th & 20th centuries. The intervening Parts II (the "dark ages") and III (Renaissance to Enlightenment) are tedious and unhelpful litanies of obscure names devoid of historical context. The 7-page chapter on Kant is particularly disappointing (nor does the author seem to recognize the strong similarity with Bohr's views). Ditto the naive comment that "a few philosophers such as Hume occasionally challenged the notion of causality." Had the author not intentionally dodged the fundamental problem of the relationship between "the mathematical structures produced by the human mind with the structure of phenomena of Nature" (p. 291), this book would have been far richer. Instead, like Epicurus, his true motivation is to extol the *moral* value of atomism in an accidental universe without purpose (cf. p. 212), and to debunk the Aristotelean/Catholic notion underlying transubstantiation of the Eucharist (p. 125). This partially explains his not infrequent lapses into Whiggism (cf. pp. 224, 233, 241). Still, there is not another work like this one. And although "the victory of the classical atomic theory proved short-lived...if it had ever materialized [p. 256, sic!]" the unfolding of the atomic vision of the universe, from the pre-Socratics to quantum uncertainty, makes an exhilirating story.

This book provides a nice survey of competing schools of thought, including nonwestern societies such as Hinduism and Islam. Occasionally a paragraph or sentence seems to contradict another nearby, as if the author, editor, and reviewers missed it. These might be resolved but that doesn't help the reader if the solution isn't apparent. After all, we read it to get the scoop, not to add on to our present confusions. Also, there is that maddening habit of providing translations from ancient sources that need further translation despite their appearance in English. This happens when the translator sees no need to stop, think, and either offer the reader something that makes sense or simply avoid the choice of translated material altogether. This habit is widespread and I did indeed expect to see it in Pullman's book too.

Reading The Atom in the History of Human Thought is an enlightening experience to embark upon. Not only does it expouse one of our civilizations most cherished concepts in a stimulating way but helps to convey the excitement of revealing the atom that continues today. From the ancient Greeks to Hegel and Shopenhauer, the book reveals the many people of history who have helped to develop our modern notion of the atom which continues today. However, it does not simply retell the western story of the atom but goes to some measure to entail the ancient Arabics contribution in flourishing this most ancient of ideas. Although a bit tedious in parts, the often tough reading pays off towards the later part of the book when everthying falls into place. In many ways, the book serves to illuminate the many historical figures who have speculated about an indivisible entity who we now unfortunately remember mainly for the mainstream contribution. A tour de force that is worth the effort if you care the read. Highly enriching reading.

This book is an amazingly comprehensive overview of all aspects of atomism. I was quite surprised to see sections on Hindu and Arab atomism, information which I didn't even know had existed. Historical analysis is excellent, although Pullman seems to insert his own opinions inconsistently and sometimes inappropriately, and tends to be (perhaps somewhat unjustifiably) hostile to Christians and the later antiatomists. However, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a precise historical account. Any information that cannot be found in the book itself is referenced in the large Notes (bibliography, footnotes) section.

Excellent overview from pre-Socratic philosphy/chemistry up to modern chemical concepts. Focus is primarily on the conceptual nature of theories and science and how the paradigms shift with new data. I thoroughly enjoy owning this book.

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