In the Philosophy of the Atom: Who Gave the Electron Its Negative Charge?

This paper addresses a foundational question that has received little direct attention in the physical sciences: what is the ontological basis for attributing negative charge to the electron and positive charge to the proton? Rather than accepting the conventional sign assignment as primitive, this study proposes a speculative model grounded in a monistic assumption—namely, that all atomic constituents emerge from a single primordial substance (prime matter). The model posits that the neutron is the first formed particle, arising from the aggregation of prime matter. Subsequently, the electron is emitted from the neutron, resulting in a loss of mass and internal energy by the neutron, which simultaneously transforms into a proton. Within this framework, energy deviation from a neutral equilibrium state (represented by the neutron) constitutes the physical correlate of electric charge. Specifically, the electron, as an energy-gaining entity, would more consistently be described as "positively charged" according to linguistic convention, while the proton, as an energy-deficient entity, would be described as "negatively charged." The paper acknowledges that this reverses established terminology but argues that the proposed model offers conceptual clarity regarding the relationship between charge, internal energy, and mass deficit. While speculative and philosophical in nature, the model is shown to be consistent with known mass relationships (neutron mass exceeding the sum of proton and electron masses). Implications for the conventional understanding of electrical neutrality are briefly discussed.