Opus Magnum: An Outline for the Philosophy of Chemistry

This work explores the nature of chemistry as an autonomous science and philosophical consequences of generalizations of some chemical aspects. Chemistry is regarded in its distinction from physics, going back to the alchemical aim for the ultimate experiment rather than for all explaining theory. Topology, shape, valence etc. are identified as typically chemical concepts. The contribution of chemistry to the general theory of complexity is demonstrated by approach of diminishing interactions by which smaller and smaller energy increments are needed to move from one level to another one of higher complexity.