Philosophical cafe 26. Newton the Alchemist

A discussion about Newton the alchemist and his search for the philosophers' stone in the laboratory. Dana Jalobeanu, Jo Hedesan and Grigore Vida in dialogue with William R. Newman about his book Newton the Alchemist.

[@AriAllenby]

Does any of Newton's eureka discoveries in chemistry still stand nowadays? Did he distinguish the various chemical elements by the structure of the void between the atoms?

[@Cafeneauafilosofica]

It is too early to be talking about chemistry in the 17th century... What Newton was doing was alchemy or chymistry. As Bill Newman shows, his interest was chiefly in making the philosophers' stone.

[@AriAllenby]

@@Cafeneauafilosofica Was not Newton an atomist? Did not he discuss the geometry of the combinations of atoms?

[@kimfreeborn]

I think it's hard to see how Newton could have wanted to be an adept and not have wanted to accrue said benefits like most alchemists did in discovering the philosopher stone. Newton was very secretive about foundations it seems on all fronts.

[@Cafeneauafilosofica]

It is difficult to know what Newton would have done with a philosophers' stone, had he acquired it... but the idea that having it put you in an exclusive club of superior individuals (aka 'the smartest people in the world') was compelling in itself!

[@kimfreeborn]

@@Cafeneauafilosofica Either that or he didn't really care about being an adept and had some other reason. The argument from William's seems weak by his own standards and it's hard to understand why he made this leap. He seems to want to make the argument on psychological grounds which would seems to open the door to Jung something that he doesn't want to do but I see no reason to shut the door.