To put it briefly, the philosopher’s stone is a stone that finds a place in the fields of alchemy, chemistry, mythology and literature, and is believed to be able to turn objects into gold. It is not possible to convert a particular substance directly into gold under scientific conditions. Because gold is an element, not a compound. The philosopher’s stone actually represents a general mindset related to valuable items, stones and elements throughout human history. The association of the philosopher’s stone with gold reflects the desire of man to have all the beauty in his life. These efforts contributed to the birth of the science of chemistry.
The adventure of alchemy from past to present has progressed in parallel with the evolution of chemistry and has taken its scientifically accepted form today. The philosopher’s stone has been handled with many experiments and formula studies throughout history, but it has not been able to truly fulfill its function until today. This process contributed to the development of the scientific world and chemistry reaching its current level of knowledge.
What is Alchemy?
Alchemy is a discipline that involves making arrangements to purify, mature and perfect certain materials. These studies, starting from primitive times, have formed the basis of scientific studies in today’s chemistry, metallurgy, physics, medicine, astrology, semiotics, mysticism, spiritualism and artistic fields. Alchemical studies, which are thought to have started around 500-600 BC, spread all over the world, starting from Mesopotamia. Today, alchemy symbols are frequently encountered, especially in popular culture, cinema and literature.
Alchemy has played an important role in the philosophical development of man, in his effort to understand nature and change it in line with his needs. Alchemy has been an important factor in man’s ability to transform nature and his efforts to increase his well-being. The philosopher’s stone is one of the most extreme examples of these efforts. The ability of the philosopher’s stone to transform the objects it touches into gold has revealed not only an action but also an ideology. The claimed abilities of this stone have caused people to make constant efforts towards their dreams.
When evaluated today, the value of precious stones has not changed from past to present, on the contrary, the emergence of alternative valuable objects has increased people’s endless desires. The legacy of alchemy is still felt strongly in the world of science and art. This deep connection in human interaction with nature emphasizes the importance of alchemy from past to present.
History of the Philosopher’s Stone
The philosopher’s stone has the oldest knowledge, dating back historically to the Greek philosopher Zosimos of Panopolis, who lived in 300 BC. Zosimos’s works contributed directly to Ancient Greek Philosophy. At that time, the desire to transform tin and copper into gold constituted the important efforts of alchemists to find the philosopher’s stone.
By the Middle Ages, the belief in the philosopher’s stone went beyond the aim of reaching gold and became an effort to reach eternal life. This change took place under the influence of the sociological structure and religious ideologies of the period. These efforts have led to a number of scientific discoveries. We can list the many substances that alchemists discovered during the Middle Ages in their search for the philosopher’s stone as follows: Phosphorus, Nitric acid, Sulfuric acid, Acetic acid, Alcohol, New salt, Periodic table, Antimony, Arsenic, Zinc, Bismuth, Sulfur, Carbon.
These discoveries show that the efforts of alchemists made significant contributions to scientific progress. The search for the philosopher’s stone went beyond the sole purpose of obtaining gold and accelerated the developments in chemistry and other branches of science.
Famous Alchemists
Alchemists, who carried out philosopher’s stone and similar works, have made many important inventions in order to increase the level of human welfare in historical perspective. These studies formed the basis of our current level of prosperity. Alchemists left a deep impact not only in scientific endeavors but also in philosophical and ideological terms. These studies have paved the way for the individual to think and develop about achieving the life he dreams of.
In this context, evaluating some alchemists and their inventions that have been influential throughout history can contribute to our understanding of the meaning of symbols such as the philosopher’s stone. The work of alchemists reflects not only the desire to transform matter, but also the attempt to understand man’s relationship with the world and his own inner world. Therefore, the discoveries made by alchemists throughout history have contributed not only to scientific progress but also to the evolution of human existential thought.
Albertus Magnus; He is known as a scholastic philosopher and theologian who was born in 1193 in present-day Germany. Albertus, who also carried out important studies in the field of alchemy, argued that there was no contradiction between truth and reason by combining the ways of knowledge obtained through faith and revelation. His work “On Alchemy” emerged as a product of his extensive research. He tried to prove that the philosopher’s stone could be formed with inorganic chemistry experiments and the right ingredients.
Arnoldus de Villa Nova; He was an alchemist, astronomer and physicist born in Valencia in 1235. He worked as one of the leading thinkers in Aragon and Paris. Nova, who fled to Sicily due to pressure from the church, attracted attention with his work on alchemy. His books, his discovery of carbon monoxide and pure alcohol, and his work on wine production and preservation form the basis of scientific production even today.
Ramon Llull; He was a mystical logician and philosopher born in Palma, Spain, in 1315. He is known as a pioneer of choice theory and computation theory. His studies on the transformation of poor quality metals into gold contributed important developments to both the world of science and philosophy.
Reasons for the Belief that Philosopher’s Stone Can Be Made with Alchemy
The basis of the belief that Philosopher’s Stone can be made with alchemy is the idea that the maturation of precious stones over time can be accelerated by rapid reactions. It is thought that sulfur played an important role in the evolution of gold and similar precious stones over time. Therefore, alchemists believed that they could accelerate the transformation of these precious stones through the action of sulfur. Although the studies carried out in line with this idea have led to scientific discoveries and philosophical developments, no concrete findings have been obtained to prove the existence of the philosopher’s stone.
While alchemists evaluated simple elements as more raw and elements such as gold as more dense and mature, this process failed to concretely prove the existence of the Philosopher’s Stone. While hoping to reach the Philosopher’s Stone, alchemy believed that red sulfur affected gold and white sulfur affected silver. This belief that sulfur was effective in the formation of certain materials created the idea that it could be used in the transformation of materials such as gold and silver. Although the alchemists could not reach the Philosopher’s Stone, their tests and experiments brought about many scientific discoveries.
Despite the pressures of the Church, especially in the Middle Ages, the scientific adventure continued uninterruptedly, even though alchemists were described as witches, sorcerers, and heretics. Although there is no concrete evidence for a known formation of the Philosopher’s Stone, the work of alchemists has an important role in building the future of science. The Philosopher’s Stone is a form of action that includes symbolic structures intended to be used for different purposes from past to present. Although these studies carried out with alchemy aimed at the transformation of worthless materials, with the Middle Ages, the aims evolved towards the discovery of immortality.
The Philosopher’s Stone, featured in the Harry Potter series, was used by JK Rowling. It is claimed that the stone found by Nicolas Flamel in the series contains the formula for immortality and turning into gold. The Japanese anime called “Fullmetal Alchemist”, which deals with the same theme, also took Nicolas Flamel’s discovery as a reference. Although the discoverability of the Philosopher’s Stone is uncertain, it is a fact that its purpose may change according to human social demands.
