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

A. JUAN PÉREZ-BUSTAMENTE* THE HOLISTIC CONCEPT OF ALCHEMY "Chemistry is much more than 'Alchemy, Alchemy is much more than Chemistry" (J. A. P-B. M.) Introduction The present communication is a logical continuation of a previous essay published by the author

1 in 1988. Since then a profound and extensive elaboration of the subject has been carried out by resorting to the use of a variety of personal and original diagrams, outlines and tables aiming at the consecution of a clear condensation of a great amount of concepts and facts in a reduced space. The multisecular legacy of Alchemy is one of the most valuable and complex cultural and humanistic inherited patrimony of mankind in spite of the fact that its ultimate meaning is subtly concealed under a thick veil of esoterism, symbolism, metaphor, hermeticism and allegory which makes very difficult to understand unambiguously both its essential meaning and its reason of existence. As a result the interpretation of Alchemy induces easily to confusionism as well as to incorrect oversimplifications unless due attention is paid to its holistic structure built up by a variety of heterogeneous elements. Alchemy is much more than a picturesque topic related to unscientific doctrines and praxis of past dark ages; it is as well much more than a simple precedent related to protochemical experimentation in search of Utopian chimeras focused towards the search of phantastic metallic transmutations and rejuvenating elixirs. Such topics have been given indeed much attention to through the centuries but represent only dismembered aspects derived from a complex and heterogeneous syncretic system of mythsm, theories, beliefs and praxes, giving rise therefore to a number both of esoteric and exoteric manifestations. Both western and eastern civilizations developed specific alchemical systems which exhibit both common as well as greatly differing aspects as regards to their doctrinal contents and applied aims. The present communication deals mainly with greco-alexandrine alchemy which is the root and core of all the alchemical systems adopted and developed first by the muslim arabian world, later recovered by european chris* Faculty of Sciences, University of Cadiz Apartado 40, Puerto Real, 11510-Cadiz (Spain)