Vihalemm Rein
Department of Philosophy, University of Tartu, Estonia.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2003 May;988:59-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2003.tb06085.x.
The problem of natural kinds in chemistry is analyzed, proceeding mainly from Rom Harré's and Jaap van Brakel's writings. The problem of natural kinds proves to be different in general philosophy and in philosophy of science. This problem, which originally emerged at the borderline of science and philosophy, belongs to the domain of philosophy of science. Philosophy in general cannot hope that scientific knowledge will help to explain philosophical issues. Chemistry has to be taken very seriously in philosophy of science. Not only do empirical arguments indicate that chemistry should be regarded as a typical science, but it is also relevant for elaborating a theoretical model of science. Chemistry as the science of substances is well suited for the philosophical analysis of the role of the concept of natural kinds in science. The viability of the concept of a natural kind in philosophy of chemistry derives from the explanatory role of chemical natural kinds. The problem of explanation in its turn relates natural kinds to the laws of nature and scientific theories, that is, to classical issues in philosophy of science and to discussions on their (supposed) specificity in chemistry. In philosophy of science, one can demonstrate that there exists a third option between metaphysical realism and internal realism (to use Putnam's terminology). According to this third type of realism our "world versions" (including natural kinds identified by us), but not the world itself, are relative to us.
本文主要基于罗姆·哈雷（Rom Harré）和雅普·范·布雷克尔（Jaap van Brakel）的著作，对化学中的自然种类问题进行分析。事实证明，自然种类问题在一般哲学和科学哲学中是不同的。这个最初出现在科学与哲学边界的问题，属于科学哲学领域。一般哲学不能指望科学知识有助于解释哲学问题。在科学哲学中，化学必须得到高度重视。不仅经验论证表明化学应被视为一门典型科学，而且它对于构建科学的理论模型也具有相关性。作为物质科学的化学，非常适合对自然种类概念在科学中的作用进行哲学分析。化学哲学中自然种类概念的可行性源于化学自然种类的解释作用。解释问题进而将自然种类与自然规律和科学理论联系起来，也就是与科学哲学中的经典问题以及关于它们在化学中的（假定）特殊性的讨论联系起来。在科学哲学中，可以证明在形而上学实在论和内在实在论（用普特南的术语）之间存在第三种选择。根据这种第三种实在论类型，我们的“世界版本”（包括我们所确定的自然种类），而非世界本身，是相对于我们而言的。
