2019/12/02 by Zhixin Wang, Wang, Zhixin
Arts and Humanities · Environmental Science · #FOS: Physical sciences #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #Philosophy and History of Science #Popular Physics (physics.pop-ph) #Science and Climate Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1912.00914
openalex publication_date 2019/12/02 · openalex created_date 2019/12/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This short essay traces the conceptual history of micro- and macroscopicity in the context of physical science. By focusing on three distinct episodes spanning five centuries, we show the scientific and philosophical meanings of this antonym pair, despite never being far from "the small" and "the large," have been evolving as the frontier of science advances. We analyze the intellectual and material impetus for these movements, and conclude that this conceptual history reflects the changing interaction between the natural world and humankind.