The Loss of the "Four Elements"

The disappearance of the traditional world of the �four elements� was revolutionary. It was as radical in the world of chemistry as Copernicus�s proof that the earth was not the centre of the solar system; or (some said) as Robespierre�s claim that the people, not the king, embodied sovereignty. Moreover, it was counter-intuitive: it went against common sense and common appearances. Surely water and air were primary, simple elements? Not at all: chemical experiment and scientific instruments could prove that they were not what they seemed to human senses � just as Newton, with his optical experiments with the prism, had shown that white sunlight was not what it seemed to the human eye, but a composite rainbow or spectrum of coloured light. Goethe had mused on the counter-intuitive nature of science: �When we try to recognise the idea inherent in a phenomenon we are confused by the fact that it frequently � even normally � contradicts our senses. The Copernican system is based on an idea which was hard to grasp; even now it contradicts our senses every day [that the sun rises] � The metamorphosis of plants contradicts our senses in this way.�

Notes:

Was as big in chemistry as the Earth being the center of the Universe was to Astronomy.

Folksonomies: history chemistry iconoclasm

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The Age of Wonder

Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book: Holmes , Richard (2010-03-02), The Age of Wonder, Vintage, Retrieved on 2012-01-02

Source Material [books.google.com]

Folksonomies: history enlightenment science