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Scientia and Transformation. Rethinking Medieval Science through Alchemy and Natural Philosophy.

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  • Giuseppe Gimigliano
Giuseppe Gimigliano
Pontificia Università Antonianum, Via Arcinazzo Romano, 9 - 00171 Roma
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/Substantia-3644

Published 2025-09-26

Keywords

  • Alchemy,
  • Medieval Science,
  • Natural Philosophy,
  • Epistemology,
  • Transformation

How to Cite

Gimigliano, G. (2025). Scientia and Transformation. Rethinking Medieval Science through Alchemy and Natural Philosophy. Substantia. https://doi.org/10.36253/Substantia-3644

Copyright (c) 2025 Giuseppe Gimigliano

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

This study introduces a new framework for understanding medieval science by recognizing alchemy as a central mode of rational inquiry. Through the integration of theoretical reflection and material practice, alchemy shaped a vision of nature governed by intelligible processes and oriented toward perfection. The contribution of this work lies in its demonstration that medieval alchemical knowledge operated through experimental attention. Rather than isolating observation from metaphysical purpose, it forged a unified method where transformation became the pathway to understanding. By highlighting this coherence, the study redefines the historical foundations of chemistry and restores to alchemy its formative role in shaping scientific imagination.

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