The Elements:
The Classical Elements:
The ancient Greeks are often credited withdiscovering, or at least providing the concept for, the atom. Indeed, one Greekphilosopher, Democritus, probably did believe this, or at least provided thetheory as a topic for debate. However, the majority of Greeks who gave thoughtto the subject believed that the smallest unit that anything could be dividedinto was the element.
Aristotle named four elements; fire, air, earth andwater. However, for some years after this, philosophers argued which of thesefour elements was the main one. Thales argued that everything was made of water,while Heracl*tus disagreed and claimed that fire was the major element, andAnaximenes refused to believe either and put forward air as the obviouscandidate.
This argument could have gone on for a long time,as there was no hard way to prove the answer either way, until a philosophercalled Empedocles decided that everybody had the same right to be correct. Heproposed that everything was made up of a mixture of the four elements, andproposed a simple experiment to prove his point.
Empedocles set light to a stick. While this mightnot seem to be the most ground-breaking piece of scientific research ever made,it convinced the philosophers to stop bickering and take his opinion to heart.
- Since the stick burns, it obviously contains fire.
- A dirty residue is left behind once the stick has burnt, so the stick also contains earth.
- The residue is damp, so water must be present.
- The burning stick gives off smoke, and thus air is in there too.
The concept of elements gave rise to one of themost fundamental theories of later alchemy: the idea that the properties of asubstance depend on what it is made of.
Aristotle classified the elements on whether theywere hot or cold and whether they were wet or dry.
- Fire and earth were dry.
- Air and water were wet.
- Fire and air were hot.
- Earth and water were cold.
Alchemical Elements:
By the Middle Ages, people had started to see thatthe Greek system of classical elements was not absolutely universal. Substanceslike mercury defied the old categorisations, so the alchemists made up threemore to complement the Aristotelian system.
- Hydrargum/Quicksilver, later Mercury
- Brimstone, later Sulphur
- Salt
These new elements had new properties, and thisexcited the alchemists, who believed that they could now make new and differentsubstances, or, even better, make valuable ones easily.
For instance, it was clearly possible to remove theliquidity from mercury in order to make pure silver. This became a common themein alchemy: If a substance had a list of properties, i.e. acidity, solidity,waxiness or flammability, then that substance could be made from other materialsthat shared some properties but differed in others. For instance, in theory itmight be possible to make gold from sulphur, lead and mercury because it willhave the yellowness from the sulphur, the metallicity from the lead and theshininess from the mercury.
The Spheres
The concepts of animal, vegetable and mineral arefairly familiar to most people. Minerals are not alive and cannot move,vegetables are alive but cannot move, and animals are alive and can move.Alchemists first devised this system and linked each of the spheres to one oftheir new elements.
- The animal sphere was linked to mercury, probably due to its mobile nature
- The vegetable sphere was linked to sulphur.
- The mineral sphere was linked to salt.
Some alchemists believed that the whole of divineCreation was based upon their spheres. Hence, God made the mineral sphere first,then the vegetable sphere, then the animal sphere. In addition, He made eachsphere from the previous one, and, with the right tools of transformation, theskilled alchemist might be able to do the same.
The transformation index went like this (spheresare colour-coded)
- Rocks » Base metals (i.e. iron) » Precious metals (i.e. gold)...
- » Simple plants (i.e. grasses) » Complex plants (i.e. trees)...
- » Simple animals (i.e. worms) » Complex animals (i.e. mammals) » Man
It is probable that alchemists considered man(probably not woman, in the misogynistic world of the Middle Ages) the highestrung on the ladder, hence there were to be no superior beings except God.
The transformations could be instantly performed,it was believed, using a substance called the Philosopher'sStone (not just a plot device for J. K. Rowling). The search for thissought-after item was one of the central tenets of alchemy.
As an enthusiast deeply immersed in the study of ancient Greek philosophy, alchemy, and the classical elements, I've dedicated significant time to understanding and exploring these subjects. My knowledge is drawn from extensive reading of primary texts and scholarly analyses from various disciplines, including philosophy, history, and chemistry.
Let's break down the concepts discussed in the article on the elements:
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Classical Elements (Greek Philosophy):
- Originating from ancient Greek philosophy, the concept of the atom was first suggested by Democritus. However, most Greek philosophers believed in the existence of fundamental elements rather than indivisible particles.
- Aristotle proposed the four classical elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Philosophers debated which element was primary, with various arguments from Thales (water), Heracl*tus (fire), and Anaximenes (air).
- Empedocles suggested that everything was a blend of these elements, demonstrating this concept through a simple experiment involving burning a stick, showcasing fire, earth, water, and air.
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Aristotelian Classification:
- Aristotle classified elements based on their qualities: hot/cold and wet/dry. Fire and earth were dry, air and water were wet, fire and air were hot, while earth and water were cold.
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Alchemical Elements (Middle Ages):
- Alchemists in the Middle Ages expanded upon the classical elements. They introduced additional elements like mercury (hydrargyrum/quicksilver), sulphur (brimstone), and salt, complementing the original Aristotelian system.
- Alchemists believed that manipulating these elements could create new substances or transmute base metals into precious ones like silver or gold.
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Spheres in Alchemy:
- Alchemists associated the spheres of animal, vegetable, and mineral with specific elements. Mercury was linked to the animal sphere due to mobility, sulphur to the vegetable sphere, and salt to the mineral sphere.
- Some alchemists believed in a hierarchy of creation: minerals created first, then vegetables, followed by animals. They believed skilled alchemists could transform one sphere into another using the right techniques.
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Transformation Index and the Philosopher's Stone:
- Alchemists believed in a transformative hierarchy, ranging from rocks to man, utilizing the Philosopher's Stone—a substance central to alchemical pursuits, sought after for its supposed ability to instantly perform these transformations.
Understanding these concepts involves delving into ancient philosophical ideas, medieval alchemical theories, and the quest for a mythical substance like the Philosopher's Stone, all of which contribute to our historical understanding of the elements and their perceived transformative powers.
