A Study Of Alchemy In Renaissance Europe

The Renaissance period of the 13th-17 th centuries was the golden stage of alchemy development.During this period,alchemy had a wide range of contents and perfect theories,and European kings,secular nobles,clerics and even commoners all showed a keen interest in alchemy.Suddenly,alchemy became a trend in Europe,and all levels of society competed to participate in alchemical activities.This paper attempts to divorce alchemy from traditional superstition and re-integrate it into the study of cultural,technological,and economic history through a comprehensive exposition of the origins of Renaissance alchemy,the groups involved,the patronage system that united both sides of alchemy,and the impact of alchemy.More importantly,this paper also hopes to reveal the social mentality of the Renaissance through the introduction of alchemy in this period,and then to see the transformation of the whole European society into modern times in this period from the unique perspective of alchemy.The main part of this paper is divided into four chapters.The first chapter focuses on the history of alchemy as an entry point,introducing the three sources of European Alchemy in Renaissance: Greco-Egyptian,Arab,and Christian.The second chapter focuses on the cultural study of the propagators and recipients of alchemy during the Renaissance,and through analyzing the cultural identity composition of these two groups and their cultural concepts,it tries to reproduce the real life of the propagators and recipients of alchemy during this period.The third chapter focuses on the alchemical patronage system that connected the transmitters and receivers of alchemy,elucidating its cultural origins and its important role in the development of alchemy during the Renaissance.Chapter 4 provides a comprehensive account of the historical value of Renaissance alchemy from the perspectives of modern medicine,modern chemistry,mining,and modern commerce.In addition,Van Helmont and Johann Becher,the most representative alchemists of the Renaissance,are chosen as materials to explore the development of alchemy in the Renaissance through their multiple identities as alchemists,medical doctors and chemists,and to show the close connection between alchemy and modern medicine,modern chemistry and modern commerce in the process of modernization.