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Ideas of Robert Boyle, by Text

[Irish, 1627 - 1691, Wealthy independent scientist.]

1661	The Sceptical Chemist

p.569

p.60

15961

I don't see how mere moving matter can lead to the bodies of men and animals, and especially their seeds

1666	The Origin of Forms and Qualities

p.18

15952

The corpuscles just have shape, size and motion, which explains things without 'sympathies' or 'forces' [Alexander,P]

p.66

15962

Boyle's term 'texture' is not something you feel, but is unobservable structures of particles [Alexander,P]

p.71

15964

Boyle's secondary qualities are not illusory, or 'in the mind' [Alexander,P]

p.72

15965

Boyle attacked a contemporary belief that powers were occult things [Alexander,P]

p.120

15972

The corpuscular theory allows motion, but does not include forces between the particles [Alexander,P]

p.521

16735

In the 17th century, 'disposition' usually just means the spatial arrangement of parts [Pasnau]

p.324

p.8

16034

Form is not a separate substance, but just the manner, modification or 'stamp' of matter

p.41?

p.56

15957

Essential definitions show the differences that discriminate things, and make them what they are

p.46?

p.59

15960

Explanation is deducing a phenomenon from some nature better known to us

p.47?

p.43

15953

To cite a substantial form tells us what produced the effect, but not how it did it

1672	Certain Physical Essays

II:21

p.530

16736

Explanation is generally to deduce it from something better known, which comes in degrees

II:22

p.530

16737

The best explanations get down to primary basics, but others go less deep