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Patience, diligence, and humility : epistemic virtues and chemistry in the eighteenth century Dutch Republic

(2025) SYNTHESE. 205(1).
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Abstract
This paper discusses the connection between epistemic virtues and chemistry in the eighteenth century Dutch Republic. It does so in two ways. First, it presents the virtue epistemology of three Dutch university professors and natural philosophers: Herman Boerhaave, Petrus van Musschenbroek, and Johannes David Hahn. It shows how their criticism of a priori philosophy and their defence of experimental natural philosophy is connected to a specific virtue epistemology. Four epistemic virtues are central for these authors: intellectual patience, diligence and humility, and impartiality. This virtue epistemology informs their presentation of chemistry as an exemplary discipline. The practice of chemistry instils these key epistemic virtues in its practitioners. Second, the article shows how these epistemic virtues also play a role in later debates regarding the reception of Lavoisier’s work in the Dutch Republic. This article hopes to provide an example of what Ian Kidd has called a ‘deep conception of epistemic vice [and virtue]’. It also argues for the fruitfulness of applying a virtue epistemic framework to the study of the Chemical Revolution.
Keywords
History and philosophy of science, Chemistry, Chemical Revolution, Virtue Epistemology, Epistemic virtues, Epistemic vices, BOERHAAVE

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Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Beck, Pieter. “Patience, Diligence, and Humility : Epistemic Virtues and Chemistry in the Eighteenth Century Dutch Republic.” SYNTHESE, vol. 205, no. 1, 2025, doi:10.1007/s11229-024-04845-z.
APA
Beck, P. (2025). Patience, diligence, and humility : epistemic virtues and chemistry in the eighteenth century Dutch Republic. SYNTHESE, 205(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-024-04845-z
Chicago author-date
Beck, Pieter. 2025. “Patience, Diligence, and Humility : Epistemic Virtues and Chemistry in the Eighteenth Century Dutch Republic.” SYNTHESE 205 (1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-024-04845-z.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Beck, Pieter. 2025. “Patience, Diligence, and Humility : Epistemic Virtues and Chemistry in the Eighteenth Century Dutch Republic.” SYNTHESE 205 (1). doi:10.1007/s11229-024-04845-z.
Vancouver
1.
Beck P. Patience, diligence, and humility : epistemic virtues and chemistry in the eighteenth century Dutch Republic. SYNTHESE. 2025;205(1).
IEEE
[1]
P. Beck, “Patience, diligence, and humility : epistemic virtues and chemistry in the eighteenth century Dutch Republic,” SYNTHESE, vol. 205, no. 1, 2025.
@article{01JFYV6A8P03X72VFM4KP3STHX,
  abstract     = {{This paper discusses the connection between epistemic virtues and chemistry in the eighteenth century Dutch Republic. It does so in two ways. First, it presents the virtue epistemology of three Dutch university professors and natural philosophers: Herman Boerhaave, Petrus van Musschenbroek, and Johannes David Hahn. It shows how their criticism of a priori philosophy and their defence of experimental natural philosophy is connected to a specific virtue epistemology. Four epistemic virtues are central for these authors: intellectual patience, diligence and humility, and impartiality. This virtue epistemology informs their presentation of chemistry as an exemplary discipline. The practice of chemistry instils these key epistemic virtues in its practitioners. Second, the article shows how these epistemic virtues also play a role in later debates regarding the reception of Lavoisier’s work in the Dutch Republic. This article hopes to provide an example of what Ian Kidd has called a ‘deep conception of epistemic vice [and virtue]’. It also argues for the fruitfulness of applying a virtue epistemic framework to the study of the Chemical Revolution.}},
  articleno    = {{10}},
  author       = {{Beck, Pieter T. L.}},
  issn         = {{0039-7857}},
  journal      = {{SYNTHESE}},
  keywords     = {{History and philosophy of science,Chemistry,Chemical Revolution,Virtue Epistemology,Epistemic virtues,Epistemic vices,BOERHAAVE}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{28}},
  title        = {{Patience, diligence, and humility : epistemic virtues and chemistry in the eighteenth century Dutch Republic}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-024-04845-z}},
  volume       = {{205}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}

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