Resonance ontological status

G. W. Wheland, Theory of Resonance and Its Application to Organic Chemistry (New York J. Wiley and Sons London Chapman and Hall, 1944). The Pauling-Wheland controversy on the ontological status of resonance is described in the contribution of K. Gavroglu and A. Simoes in this volume. 

In this paper we discuss a number of issues which manifest the theoretical particularity of quantum chemistry and which are usually not discussed in an explicit manner either in the historical or in the philosophical studies related to quantum chemistry. We shall focus on five issues the re-thinking of the problem of reductionism, the discourse of quantum chemistry as a confluence of the traditions of physics, chemistry, and mathematics, the role of textbooks in consolidating this discourse, the ontological status of resonance, and the more general problem of the status of the chemical bond. Finally, we shall briefly discuss the impact of large scale computing. 

Pauling s resonance theory raised questions as to the ontological status of theoretical entities very similar to the problematique associated with discussions about scientific realism. Differences in the assessment of the methodological and ontological status of resonance were the object of a dispute between Pauling and Wheland, who worked towards the extension of resonance theory to organic... 

Almost all of the protagonists were aware and worried about the pitfalls concerning the ontological status of the various theoretical entitles. Were orbitals real Was resonance real What was interesting was that developments did not become dependent... 

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