Since its first appearance in 1995, HYLE has become established as the international forum for all philosophical aspects of chemistry. Still unique in the entire history of the philosophy of science, HYLE has for the first time brought together philosophers, chemists, and historians of chemistry worldwide for fruitful discussions on a regular basis. The rapidly growing number of subscribers - currently over 470 subscribers from 56 countries - makes it a forum of ideas influential far beyond an exotic field.

On the occasion of the 5th year of successful existence, we wish to publish a Special Issue on MODELS IN CHEMISTRY at the end of 1999. We cordially invite the scholarly community to submit papers on all philosophical aspects of models in chemistry!

Not only do models play an extraordinarily rich and central role in chemistry; the issue is also appropriate to be addressed from various perspectives. There is already some literature on models in chemistry. Readers may wish to look at our Selected Bibliography. Since recent rediscoveries of models in general philosophy of science appear to be less familiar with models in chemistry, contributors are also encouraged to help broaden the focus. Contributions to the Special Issue may deal with one or the other topic of the following (not exclusive) list:

• epistemological status and methodological role of models in chemistry
• peculiarities and diversity of chemical models/model building
• historical continuity and discontinuity of chemical models
• metaphysical, social, and psychological roots of chemical models
• the uses of models for analogical reasoning in chemistry
• model-based conceptual import to/export from other sciences
• interdisciplinary approaches of model building in subfields of chemistry (e.g. quantum chemistry, biochemistry)
• utility and problems of models in chemistry education
• heuristic values of models and the role of visuality in chemistry
• model-based reasoning in chemistry as a logic of inventions/synthesis
• the uses of exemplary models (model substances, model reactions) for concept building, demonstration, and counter-factual ('counter-natural') reasoning
• the uses of exemplary models for imitating or improving 'nature'
• the uses of exemplary models (e.g. enzyme models) as tools in analytical and medical chemistry
• laboratory reactions as models in chemical engineering and the problems of scaling up
• epistemological problems of chemical modeling of complex systems for risk evaluation (e.g. nuclear waste deposal)
• epistemological problems of global models in geochemistry and atmospheric chemistry for forecasting and controlling our future environment

Types of chemical models include:

• structure models: stick-and-ball models, graphs, structural representations, structural formulas (in various standard notations)
• process models: structural reaction formulas, mathematical/computational models, computer simulations/visualizations
• exemplary models: model substances, model reactions
• models of complex systems

Articles should follow our general Guidelines for Contributors. Submissions should be received by August 31, 1999,.and will be anonymously reviewed.
 

Selected Bibliography 'Models in Chemistry'

Banse, G.: 1973, 'Modell und Erkenntnis in der Chemie', Chemie in der Schule, 20, no. 5, 179-189.

Bhushan, N.; Rosenfeld, S.: 1995, 'Metaphorical Models in Chemistry', Journal of Chemical Education, 72, 578-582.

Bittrich, H.J.: 1980, 'Chemie zwischen Modell und Wirklichkeit', Philosophie und Naturwissenschaften in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart (Humboldt-Universität, Berlin), no. 15-1, 36-44.

Caldin, E. F.: 1960, 'Theories and the Development of Chemistry', The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 10, 209-222.

Fleischer, L.: 1966, 'Über Modellvorstellungen im Bereich der Chemie', Wissenschaftliche Hefte des PI Köthen, no. 1, 33-38.

Francoeur, E.: 1997, 'The Forgotten Tool: The Design and Use of Molecular Models', Social Studies of Science, 27, 7-40.

Hartmann, H.: 1965, 'Die Bedeutung quantenmechanischer Modelle für die Chemie', Sitzungsberichte der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität (F. Steiner: Wiesbaden), pp. 151-168.

Hendry, R. F.: 1998, 'Models and Approximations in Quantum Chemistry', Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of Science and the Humanities, 63, 123-142.

Hofmann, J. R.: 1990, 'How the Models of Chemistry Vie', PSA, 1, 405-419.

Keller, G.: 1977, Über das Denken in Modellen. Ein Beitrag zur Didaktik der Chemie, Frankfurt/M.

Laszlo, P.: 1993, La parole des choses, Hermann, Paris, (esp. chapt. 1).

Ley, H.: 1968, 'Was sind und welche Aufgabe haben Modelle?', Chemie in der Schule, 15, no. 5, 186-193.

Luisi, P.-L.; Thomas, R. M.: 1990, 'The Pictographic Molecular Paradigm', Die Naturwissenschaften, 77, 67-74.

Mittasch, A.: 1948, 'Über Fiktionen in der Chemie', in: A. Mittasch, Von der Chemie zur Philosophie, Ulm, pp. 311-344 (also: Angewandte Chemie, 50 (1937), 423-433).

Psarros, N.: 1993, 'Chemische Theorien und Modelle: Abbilder der Natur oder Systeme von Handlungsanweisungen', Wirtschaft & Wissenschaft, 1, 20-30.

Röhler, G.: 1962, 'Zur erkenntnistheoretischen Bedeutung von Hypothese, Modellvorstellung und Theorie in der Chemie', Deutsche Zeitschrift für Philosophie, 10, no. 10, 1294-1307.

Scerri, E. R.: 1991, 'The Electronic Configuration Model, Quantum Mechanics and Reduction', The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 42, 309-325.

Schummer,J.: 1996, Realismus und Chemie, Königshausen und Neumann, Würzburg (esp. chapt. 6.)

Suckling, C.J.; Suckling, K.E.; Suckling, C.W.: 1978, Chemistry through Models, Cambridge.

Synowiecki, A.: 1965, 'Vom Modell zur Wirklichkeit', Chemie in der Schule, 12, no. 4, 145-150.

Tappe, W.: 1986, Philosophische Probleme des Modellierens bei der Herausbildung der Theorie der chemischen Bindung (Dissertation A), Humboldt-Universität Berlin.

Tomasi, J.: 1988, 'Models and Modeling in Theoretical Chemistry', Journal of Molecular Structure, 179, 273-292.

Trindle, C.: 1984, 'The Hierarchy of Models in Chemistry', Croatica Chemica Acta, 57, 1231-1245.

Weerda, J.: 1982, Untersuchungen zum Modellbegriff in der Chemie: eine empirische Untersuchung bei Schülern', P. Lang, Frankfurt/M.

Weißbach, H.: 1965, 'Anschaulichkeit und Modell', Chemie in der Schule, 12, no. 10, 391-395.

Wendt, J.: 1967, 'Die Bedeutung des Modells bei der Herausbildung von Theorien über Ionenaustauscher', Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Math.-Nat. Reihe, 16, no. 6, 969-971.