Technikatörténeti szemle 22. (1996)

Papers from the Second International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Eger, Hungary, 16–19 August, 1995) - Pérez-Bustamente, A. Juan: The Holistic Concept of Alchemy

Origins and Fundamental Aspects of Alchemy Fig. 1 summarizes by means of a few keywords the esssence of the experimental science called Chemistry as regards to its evolution through Comte's three-stadia law (theological, metaphysical and scientific) under consideration of its main ingredients (philosophy, history, laboratory). A few geographical and personal names are included representative of the evolutive periods considered. Chemistry is an experimental science of recent emergence but of a very long „pedigree" which sinks its roots in prealchemical neolithic crafts and more recently in alchemical systems and periods ranging roughly from 3-4th b.D up to 17-18th a.D. centuries. Fig. 1. Synoptical holistic interpretation of CHEMISTRY as related to COMTE's three-stadia law As for the origin of Alchemy it is so far an open question which becomes increasingly complicated as progress and more knowledge goes on from deciphering, translations and critical analysis of rare new sources arising