From chemistry-request[ AT ]ccl.net Thu Jan 8 07:40:53 2004 Received: from smtp2.ruc.dk (smtp2.ruc.dk [130.225.220.22]) by server.ccl.net (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id i08CeKX9021643 for ; Thu, 8 Jan 2004 07:40:21 -0500 Received: by smtp2.ruc.dk (Postfix, from userid 1001) id C04B0238308; Thu, 8 Jan 2004 13:40:14 +0100 (CET) Received: from virgil.ruc.dk (virgil.ruc.dk [130.225.220.110]) by smtp2.ruc.dk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6E4802381F3 for ; Thu, 8 Jan 2004 13:40:08 +0100 (CET) Received: from VIRGIL/SpoolDir by virgil.ruc.dk (Mercury 1.47); 8 Jan 04 13:40:08 +0100 Received: from SpoolDir by VIRGIL (Mercury 1.47); 8 Jan 04 13:39:58 +0100 From: "Jens Spanget-Larsen" Organization: Roskilde Universitetscenter To: chemistry*at*ccl.net Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 13:39:39 +0100 Subject: Auguste Comte on Mathematical Methods in Chemistry Reply-To: spanget*at*ruc.dk Message-ID: <3FFD5D9B.19309.B96194(+ at +)localhost> Priority: normal X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v4.01) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.55 (1.174.2.19-2003-05-19-exp) X-Spam-Report: X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=7.0 tests=none version=2.55 X-Spam-Level: Dear CCL! In my files I keep the following quotation from A. Comte: "Every attempt to employ mathematical methods in the study of chemical questions must be considered profoundly irrational and contrary to the spirit in chemistry. If mathematical analysis should ever hold a prominent place in chemistry - an aberration which is happily almost impossible - it would occasion a rapid and widespread degeneration of that science." A. Comte (1830) I got it several years ago from an Internet page, without any details. Does anybody know this text? A. Comte must be the philosopher Auguste Comte, and the year 1830 may indicate his work "Cours de philosophie positive" which was published in this and the following years. But what can he have meant? Any comments? Yours, Jens >--< =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= JENS SPANGET-LARSEN Office: +45 4674 2710 Department of Chemistry Fax: +45 4674 3011 Roskilde University (RUC) Mobile: +45 2320 6246 P.O.Box 260 E-Mail: spanget*at*ruc.dk DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark http://virgil.ruc.dk/~spanget =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=