4.2 Article

Hasok Chang on the nature of acids

Journal

FOUNDATIONS OF CHEMISTRY
Volume 24, Issue 3, Pages 389-404

Publisher

SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10698-022-09432-z

Keywords

Acidity; pH; G; N; Lewis; Chemical bonding; Thermodynamic activity

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Hasok Chang has advocated pluralism, pragmatism, and an associated view of natural kinds in the philosophy of science. He argues that everyday terms persist in the scientific view, with examples like phlogiston being transformed into useful concepts. Chang also points out that certain scientific terms, such as acidity, have experienced a form of rupture in modern definitions like the Lewis definition of acids.
For a period of several years the philosopher of science Hasok Chang has promoted various inter-related views including pluralism, pragmatism, and an associated view of natural kinds. He has also argued for what he calls the persistence of everyday terms in the scientific view. Chang claims that terms like phlogiston were never truly abandoned but became transformed into different concepts that remain useful. On the other hand, Chang argues that some scientific terms such as acidity have suffered a form of rupture, especially in the case of the modern Lewis definition of acids. Chang also complains that the degree of acidity of a Lewis acid cannot be measured using a pH meter and seems to regard this as a serious problem. The present paper examines some of these views, especially what Chang claims to be a rupture in the definition of acidity. It is suggested that there has been no such rupture but a genuine generalization, on moving from the Bronsted-Lowry theory to the Lewis theory of acidity. It will be shown how the quantification and measurement of Lewis acidity can easily be realized through the use of equilibrium theory and the use of stability constants.

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