Does the periodic table reveal laws of nature?
There could be more to learn from ordering the elements
The periodic table is one of the greatest scientific achievements of all time. By classifying chemical elements by increasing atomic number, chemists have discovered previously unknown elements, synthesised new substances and better understood the chemical and physical behaviour of matter. It is an exceptionally handy tool, essential not just to chemical practice but also to the teaching of chemistry at all levels.
Where the periodic table has been disregarded though, is philosophy. This is surprising not just because of its important role in chemistry. The periodic table is often mentioned in textbooks, chemical articles and popular texts as a representation of the so-called ‘periodic law’. This term suggests that at least in chemical discourse the periodic table has a status that few classificatory schemes enjoy in science: it shows, to put it boldly, a law of nature.
Now this should ring many bells for philosophers! As they attempt to understand the structure of the world, philosophers persistently ask whether there are laws of nature that govern the behaviour of things in the universe. Examples from science that philosophers have examined as paradigmatic candidates include Newton’s law of gravity, the law of demand and supply, and the laws of thermodynamics.