The rivers in our tears: chemistry, literature and philosophy in the short story Best Is Water by Primo Levi

Abstract

The relationship between science and literature has been partially explored by the philosophy of chemistry, but without investigations into a modern representation of chemistry and the work of the chemist. In this article, we aim to investigate how Levi humanizes science in his science fiction, employing a theoretical framework that combines philosophical and historical perspectives on science and chemistry. By analyzing the short story Best Is Water, we also demonstrate how Levi prompts reflections on the nature of modern chemistry and the work of the technical chemist. The analysis of the story was organized into four themes identified based on narrative conflicts and philosophical references: more viscous water; the work of the technical chemist; nature outside the laboratory; and the limits of knowledge about water. The analysis considered categories related to the chemist's worldview, and some philosophical as well as historical aspects from science and chemistry. In Best Is Water, we identified that Levi: humanizes science and philosophical topics; problematizes the technical job of a chemist and the use of prototypes; expresses a conception of reality that is stratified and in movement, confronting neopositivist science and empirical realism; shows the importance of the chemist's sensibility in raw reality. This analysis contributes to the philosophy of chemistry by deepening the relationship between chemistry, literature and philosophy, and exploring philosophical aspects of the representation of the chemist and his work in the laboratory.