I've had alchemy on the brain lately. Recently the novels of Neal Stephenson were brought to my attention and I'm about halfway into his Baroque Cycle trilogy.An extended metaphor in the series is made wherein seventeenth & early eighteenth century European politics/economics/science are all likened to alchemy. Frequently Stephenson pulls out surprising figures, and circumstances to evoke the slippery nature of mercury and the elusiveness of formulae for solving ultimately irreconcilable differences between ideologies and groups.
Isaac Newton is a prominent member of the ensemble cast in the books, and the alchemy undertaken by him along with a host of other important Natural Philosophers is viewed in several ways. I read the message of Stephenson to be admiring of the search for purity, but I still feel a bit uneasy with European Enlightenment Alchemy.
Combining materials to find out what happens naturally appeals to individuals who prize observation and recording data for the purpose of nurturing living, growing collective human understanding. On the other hand, the lofty goal of this alchemy is part and parcel with a sense of superiority among those who practice it, which is off-putting. Beyond the occult nature of the secret activities, one may suspect a scientist who operates with the kind of eschatology indicating they are entitled to an exclusive aberration from the laws of nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment