Alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum. Albert the Great’s Account on Alchemical Transmutation
This article deals with the most relevant philosophical side of Albert the Great’s analysis of alchemy, aimed at clarifying what alchemical transmutation consists in and whether this process can ultimately be accomplished by men. The Dominican master handles the problem differently in the earlier co...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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E-theca OnLineOpenAccess Edizioni
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Noctua |
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| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.14640/NoctuaVII5 |
| _version_ | 1818912991000657920 |
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| author | Mario Loconsole |
| author_facet | Mario Loconsole |
| author_sort | Mario Loconsole |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article deals with the most relevant philosophical side of Albert the Great’s analysis of alchemy, aimed at clarifying what alchemical transmutation consists in and whether this process can ultimately be accomplished by men. The Dominican master handles the problem differently in the earlier commentary on Lombardus’ Libri Sententiarum and in works like the De mineralibus, in which a more mature idea of the connection between art and nature is developed. In this respect, Albert’s interpretation intersects with Avicenna’s De congelatione, a fundamental text for the Latin medieval debate on alchemy, whose reception has shaped his understanding of the alchemical art. The Dominican master gradually assumes a more lenient position towards the claims of the alchemical process of transmutation, which he explains by resorting to the similitudes between alchemy and medicine and the comparison of artificial transmutation with natural processes such as the generatio ex putrefactione and the natural formation of minerals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T23:23:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f78144de2474d5784aa24fc298f6311 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2284-1180 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T23:23:23Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | E-theca OnLineOpenAccess Edizioni |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Noctua |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f78144de2474d5784aa24fc298f63112022-12-21T20:01:54ZdeuE-theca OnLineOpenAccess EdizioniNoctua2284-11802020-08-01VII218522410.14640/NoctuaVII5Alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum. Albert the Great’s Account on Alchemical TransmutationMario Loconsole0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1890-5302Università del Salento, Lecce – Universität zu KölnThis article deals with the most relevant philosophical side of Albert the Great’s analysis of alchemy, aimed at clarifying what alchemical transmutation consists in and whether this process can ultimately be accomplished by men. The Dominican master handles the problem differently in the earlier commentary on Lombardus’ Libri Sententiarum and in works like the De mineralibus, in which a more mature idea of the connection between art and nature is developed. In this respect, Albert’s interpretation intersects with Avicenna’s De congelatione, a fundamental text for the Latin medieval debate on alchemy, whose reception has shaped his understanding of the alchemical art. The Dominican master gradually assumes a more lenient position towards the claims of the alchemical process of transmutation, which he explains by resorting to the similitudes between alchemy and medicine and the comparison of artificial transmutation with natural processes such as the generatio ex putrefactione and the natural formation of minerals.https://dx.doi.org/10.14640/NoctuaVII5albert the greatalchemyartnaturetransmutation |
| spellingShingle | Mario Loconsole Alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum. Albert the Great’s Account on Alchemical Transmutation Noctua albert the great alchemy art nature transmutation |
| title | Alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum. Albert the Great’s Account on Alchemical Transmutation |
| title_full | Alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum. Albert the Great’s Account on Alchemical Transmutation |
| title_fullStr | Alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum. Albert the Great’s Account on Alchemical Transmutation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum. Albert the Great’s Account on Alchemical Transmutation |
| title_short | Alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum. Albert the Great’s Account on Alchemical Transmutation |
| title_sort | alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum albert the great s account on alchemical transmutation |
| topic | albert the great alchemy art nature transmutation |
| url | https://dx.doi.org/10.14640/NoctuaVII5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marioloconsole alchimicorumperitioperantursicutperitimedicorumalbertthegreatsaccountonalchemicaltransmutation |