"Boyle. established chemistry as science”,one of the most famous statements made by Engels ,has long been misunderstood by most of the Chinese scholars. They believed that Robert Boyle formulated the modern definition of element in The Sceptical Chemist thus Boyle established chemistry as science. However,it is found that boyle did not ever put forward the modern definition of element if we study Boyle’s original literature. Boyle was sceptical of the existence of those substances called element. .So arises the problem that how to understand the meaning of Engles’statement. The author made a study of Boyle’s book and his mechanical philosophy(or corpuscular philosophy) and concluded that because he formulated the mechanical chemistry ,Boyle established chemistry as science.
Robert Boyle and the Seven, teenth Century Chemistry