Chemism

Chemism refers to forces of attraction or adhesion between entities. It has uses in chemistry and philosophy.

Chemistry

In the past, chemism referred to intramolecular forces between atoms, or more generally, any forces acting on atoms and molecules.^[1] Now typically superseded by more precise terms such as hydrogen interaction.

Philosophy

Chemism is a term in Hegelian philosophy for the "mutual attraction, interpenetration, and neutralisation of independent individuals which unite to form a whole." In his Science of Logic, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel wrote:

"Chemism constitutes in objectivity as a whole, the moment of judgment, of the difference that has become objective, and of the process. Since it already begins with determinateness and positedness and the chemical object is at the same time an objective totality, its immediate course is simple and is completely determined by its presupposition."

The use of the term in philosophy references the activities of chemism in chemistry.^[2]

References

1. This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.

1. ^ The principles of theoretical chemistry, with special reference to the constitution of chemical compounds (1887). Remsen, Ira,, Philadelphia, Lea Brothers & Co. pg, 83 (archived version here)
2. ^ Butler, Clark. Hegel's logic: between dialectic and history, Northwestern University Press, Chicago. 1996. (p. 260)

1. This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.
2. Chemism at the Marxists.org glossary.
3. More notes on chemism
4. [1]