For centuries the study of alchemy was seen as a legitimate and deserving discipline, explored by people like Aristotle and Paracelsus from 300 B.C. until the middle of the nineteenth century. Known for being the precursor to modern day chemistry, alchemy first came to Europe in the eighth century with the Arab culture, where it grew in popularity through the middle ages. One main practitioner of alchemy during the early sixteenth century was the great physician and alchemist Paracelsus, who was the first to discover that illness comes from outside of the body, and so must be treated with medicines from outside of the body as well. This idea revolutionized medicine and chemistry alike, and helped to shape the way we see both of these disciplines. The main pursuits of alchemists were to create an elixir of life that would make the drinker young, cure any ills, and grant immortality; to create the philosopher's stone, which could turn any base metal into gold; and to discover alkahest, a substance that could dissolve all other substances. This obsession for finding the key to unlimited youth and riches shows the nature of human aesthetics, a fact that has remained unchanged throughout the course of time. Although today alchemy is a topic left to fantasy stories such as Harry Potter or Tuck Everlasting, its contributions to the world of science will long outlive its fantastic ventures.
For more information go to:
Davis, Tenney L. "The Problem of the Origin of Alchemy." The Scientific Monthly 43.6 (1936):551-558. JSTOR. Web. 20 Oct. 2009.
http://www.jstor.org.cobalt.champlain.edu
"Alchemy." Science 18.447 (1891): 113-17. JSTOR. Web. 22 Oct. 2009.
http://www.jstor.org.cobalt.champlain.edu.
It seems like this kind of thinking must have clashed considerably with the church--toying with eternal life on earth, altering God's creation, etc. I am curious to know how these ideas were received by the people of the time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the aesthetic connections, both before and after, are so apparent. Your reference to Harry Potter is just one example of many.
I can't wait to see how you convince the audience that is a good idea!
I agree with you Cyndi on the whole 'clashing with the church' idea. Also, isn't alchemy kind of still alive in modern chemistry as mentioned? People are mixing different substances to attempt to find cures and treatments for different diseases. I just think that it's a cool subject and I can't wait to learn more!
ReplyDeleteThis topic is pretty interesting because it is the grandfather of chemistry yet today all it is used for are fantasy media. The media is interesting sure, but I would like to have the data on the actual science of it to be more accessible.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your presentation, I thought you guys did an awesome job presenting your topic. I also agree with you Cyndi how this must have clashed with the church. I think it is really interesting how it has influenced so much of the "Science world" today. Like Ian said people are attempting to mix different substances and curious to see where it takes us.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to learn more about the philosopher's stone.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like people today are still seeking the elixir of life; always striving to look young.
I find it so interesting that, even in the relm of science, people still manage to involve mystical or fantastical ideas. To me as a modern person, it seems so out of wack that people believe that combining certain materials can create elixers that work in the opposite way that time does. But then again, now and days people are thinking about being frozen so they can live again in the future. Maybe alchemy and cryogentic freezing are a sign that even science can't escape the power of the human imagination. Great presentation by the way.
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