One of several important issues that inform contemporary philosophy of chemistry is the issue of structural explanation, precisely because modern chemistry is primarily concerned with microstructure. This paper argues that concern over microstructure, albeit understood differently than it is today, also informs the chemical philosophy of Robert Boyle (1627–1691). According to Boyle, the specific microstructure of ‘chymical atoms’, understood in geometric terms, accounts for the unique essential properties of different chemical substances. Because he considers the microstructure of ‘chymical atoms’ as semi-permanent, Boyle considers these stable entities as operationally irreducible, even if they are not ontologically fundamental. While it is generally believed that our contemporary concern over structural explanation is a function of modern chemistry’s emphasis on microstructure, this discussion of structural explanation in Boyle will serve as a case study to illustrate the manner in which many of our contemporary concerns have deeply historical origins and the manner in which the history of chemistry can substantively inform issues in contemporary philosophy of chemistry.

中文翻译：

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波义耳化学哲学中微观结构的功能：“化学原子”和结构解释

影响当代化学哲学的几个重要问题之一是结构解释问题，正是因为现代化学主要关注微观结构。本文认为，对微观结构的关注，尽管与今天的理解不同，但也影响了罗伯特·博伊尔 (1627-1691) 的化学哲学。根据波义耳的说法，用几何术语理解的“化学原子”的特定微观结构解释了不同化学物质独特的基本性质。因为他认为“化学原子”的微观结构是半永久性的，所以波义耳认为这些稳定的实体在操作上是不可还原的，即使它们在本体论上不是基本的。