Corpuscularianism

Corpuscularianism is the theory of matter developed by Robert Boyle and others in the 17th century, holding that all material substances are composed of minute particles — corpuscles — whose arrangement and motion determine the observable properties of matter. Unlike the indivisible atoms of ancient atomism, Boyle's corpuscles were a modeling tool: he explicitly denied knowledge of ultimate constituents, treating particles as a structural framework for understanding emergent properties. Color, texture, and reactivity were not inherent qualities but outcomes of corpuscular configuration — a primitive systems theory in which macroscopic behavior arises from microscopic organization. The theory bridged alchemy and mechanical philosophy, providing a vocabulary in which material transformation could be understood as structural rearrangement rather than mystical transmutation.