Should Organic Chemistry Be Taught as Science?

Abstract

Organic chemistry, as experienced by most undergraduates in the classroom and as utilized in most undergraduate laboratories, is more akin to an algorithm than a coherent conceptual framework. Contributing to this incoherence is an intrinsic disconnect between the explanatory power of the organic mechanism and the overall cognitive objective of connecting organic structure with mechanism. These limitations are compounded by the relatively unsophisticated understanding of the nature of science common to most undergraduates. The idealized nature of many of the mechanisms analyzed favors treating organic chemistry at the undergraduate level as essentially a rules-based system, allowing it to be taught as more of an applied science or technology.