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

tianity from the scholastic period extending up to XVII-th century as a peculiar solid experimental "corpus". Exoteric or practical alchemy arises from esoterism, utilitarian old technologies, crafts and metaphysics travelling a long journey through the neolithic period (theological stadium), followed by a shorter but equally long period dominated by greek philosophy (metaphysical stadium) to become real chemistry in modern sense only after human knowledge acquires true scientific foundations (scientific stadium). This last step begins for chemistry in the XVII-th c. and implies the gradual transformation of the old alexandrine-dominated thought of alchemy into rational chemistry. The doctrinal basis of western greco-alexandrine alchemy is essentially traditional and metaphysical (based mainly on the philosophy of matter of ancient greek schools). Accordingly, this type of alchemy, considered as a practical craft, attempts to carry out laboratory processes which take place in nature guided for this purpose by the Implications mainly of Aristotle's philosophy of matter. Right or wrong, alexandrian alchemy carries out experimental chemical work based on and guided by the postulates of a metaphysical doctrine of matter, which allows for ennoblement and transmutation of low-quality matter into matter of superior quality. Furthermore the alexandrine alchemist is convinced about the possibility to imitate and reproduce artificially natural processes in a much shorter time that Nature itself by resorting to laboratory practices. On the other hand alexandrine alchemy exhibits a heavy esoteric inheritance as derived from mesopotamian and egyptian cosmogonies and cosmosophies impregnated of concepts related to astrology, mythology and greek philosophy. As a matter of fact the stepwise evolution of this alchemy through the Middle Ages led to the establishment of traditional western alchemy the doctrinal basis of which was based mainly on hermeticism, gnosticism and neoplatonism adapted to christian mysticism. The exoteric or experimental aspects of alexandrine alchemy derive from technical empiricism as related to a great number of ancient crafts and technologies developed along the neolithic revolution which made use of a variety of chemicals, mechanical tools and practices, chemical devices, operations and procedures together with a number of important and rather sophisticated assaying techniques which served the purposes of identification and refining of metals and other materials, detection of forgeries and trade. The integral concept of alchemy can be only grasped properly within the context of a common and complex core of heterogeneous ingredients (doctrinal basis) from which three main projections emerge clearly: - mystical alchemy (spiritual purification)