These aether theories are considered to be scientifically obsolete, as the development of special relativity showed that Maxwell's equations do not require the aether for the transmission of these forces. However, the early modern aether had little in common with the aether of classical elements from which the name was borrowed. As early as the 1670s, Newton used the idea of aether to help match observations to strict mechanical rules of his physics. With the 18th century physics developments, physical models known as "aether theories" made use of a similar concept for the explanation of the propagation of electromagnetic and gravitational forces. Over the years, the term quintessence has become synonymous with elixirs, medicinal alchemy, and the philosopher's stone itself. A process given for the creation of quintessence is distillation of alcohol seven times. In The book of Quintessence, a 15th-century English translation of a continental text, quintessence was used as a medicine for many of man's illnesses. Due to quintessence's pure and heavenly quality, it was thought that through consumption one may rid oneself of any impurities or illnesses. Medicinal alchemy then sought to isolate quintessence and incorporate it within medicine and elixirs. This elemental system spread rapidly throughout all of Europe and became popular with alchemists, especially in medicinal alchemy. Quintessence stemmed from the medieval elemental system, which consisted of the four classical elements, and aether, or quintessence, in addition to two chemical elements representing metals: sulphur, "the stone which burns", which characterized the principle of combustibility, and mercury, which contained the idealized principle of metallic properties. The use of quintessence became popular within medieval alchemy. This theory was developed in the 14th century text The testament of Lullius, attributed to Ramon Llull. Due to the low presence of quintessence, earth could be affected by what takes place within the heavenly bodies. It was noted that there was very little presence of quintessence within the terrestrial sphere. Quintessence (𝓠) is the Latinate name of the fifth element used by medieval alchemists for a medium similar or identical to that thought to make up the heavenly bodies. See also Arche.Ī stylized 𝓠 is sometimes used as a symbol for quintessence. Fludd cites the 3rd-century view of Plotinus, concerning the aether as penetrative and non-material. Robert Fludd stated that the aether was "subtler than light". Medieval scholastic philosophers granted aether changes of density, in which the bodies of the planets were considered to be more dense than the medium which filled the rest of the universe. The idea of aethereal spheres moving with natural circular motion led to Aristotle's explanation of the observed orbits of stars and planets in perfectly circular motion. Aristotle also noted that celestial spheres made of aether held the stars and planets. Aether naturally moved in circles, and had no contrary, or unnatural, motion. Īether differed from the four terrestrial elements it was incapable of motion of quality or motion of quantity. With this addition the system of elements was extended to five and later commentators started referring to the new first one as the fifth and also called it aether, a word that Aristotle had not used. It was neither hot nor cold, neither wet nor dry. The first element however, located in the celestial regions and heavenly bodies, moved circularly and had none of the qualities the terrestrial classical elements had. He noted that the four terrestrial classical elements were subject to change and naturally moved linearly. However, in his Book On the Heavens he introduced a new "first" element to the system of the classical elements of Ionian philosophy. Aristotle, who had been Plato's student at the Academy, agreed on this point with his former mentor, emphasizing additionally that fire has sometimes been mistaken for aether. In Plato's Timaeus (58d) speaking about air, Plato mentions that "there is the most translucent kind which is called by the name of aether (αἰθήρ)" but otherwise he adopted the classical system of four elements. The innermost spheres are the terrestrial spheres, while the outer are made of aether and contain the celestial bodies.
0 kommentar(er)
