Basic Concepts of Boscovich's Atomism in Light of the Emerging Modern Science

Abstract

The aim of this article is to give an account of Roger Joseph Boscovich's atomic theory, to show the influence and relevance of some of his most penetrating scientific achievements, and to put them into the context of the development of modern scientific thought and method. In the introduction, I briefly present Boscovich’s life and work, then I provide a sketch of his conception of atomism, which I compare with the less elaborated conceptions of Newton and Leibniz whose theories he took as exemplifying achievements. Further, I present Boscovich’s law of universal force, for which he is best known, and his attitude towards the laws of nature in general. I pay special attention to his original transformation of the Aristotelian concepts of the actual and the potential, which he applies to the concepts of the continuous and the discrete with regard to his conception of space and time, and which are the implicit cornerstones of his atomism. In the last section, I also discuss Boscovich’s contribution to the scientific method, and mention certain long-lasting influences of his work.