12/14/2023 0 Comments Tidal alchemist stone disenchantedUnderstanding how these ideas relate to self-management or societal organisation may shed light on why untested assumptions and flawed theories remain so persistent, even in the face of un-reached goals. As alchemy did previously, science currently helps humanity manage itself on multiple scales, from the individual to the international. Understanding the relationship between alchemy and sustainability science is also important because both strategies used that people use to decide how to act and how to create coherent societal behaviour. Understanding more about the historical development of science from its alchemy roots and the resultant similarities may help twenty-first century sustainability scientists reflect on their chances of success or even identify assumptions that need to be critically examined. At the same time, those same scientists are generally optimistic about the potential to achieve carbon neutrality, entirely renewable energy and other sustainability goals, clearly not believing these to be based on wrong assumptions or theoretical errors. Clearly, alchemy did not manage to turn lead into gold nor did it uncover the secret to eternal health and youth Scientists now known that the failure to achieve those alchemical goals was a result of misunderstandings and flawed theories within alchemy’s interpretation of the world. However, this view not only ignores alchemy’s many clear and lasting successes, but also fails to acknowledge similarities between current scientific goals and alchemy. Contemporary scientific discovery is frequently seen as the best, if not the only, path to meaningful gains in knowledge or societal development. Understanding and reflecting on alchemy’s successes and failures facilitates reflection on the potential successes and failures of sustainability and the human consequences of trying to manage a sustainable future.Īlchemy may be seen as a failure by many, especially when compared to the methodical and technologically advanced science of today. The article also explores how those ideas continue to influence scientific and sustainability goals today. This article identifies ideas from alchemy that were originally beneficial and that have persisted through Enlightenment-era science and into contemporary science. However, alchemy was very beneficial, both during its period of use and subsequently through its influence on subsequent development. Flawed theories prevented alchemy from achieving many of its primary stated goals. ![]() Such reflections may also temper the zeal with which individuals that accept or reject sustainability goals treat each other, thereby offering a way for divergent groups to manage their interactions. ![]() The article goes on to reflect on how the history, development and continued use of concepts such as balance, endurance, order and change may be useful portents of how humans and human society will manage themselves in the future. For this reason, this article explores key features of alchemy, traces how they persisted through Enlightenment-era science and how they continue to be present and influential within scientific efforts today. However, it is not yet known whether carbon neutrality, entirely renewable energy and other sustainability goals will be achieved or whether these goals will also come to be seen as based on flawed understandings and theories. Likewise, science helps humanity manage itself on multiple scales, from the individual to the international, and will certainly contribute to further scientific research and development. Alchemy also positively and significantly influenced subsequent scientific development. Nevertheless, alchemy did succeed in helping adherents manage themselves and their societies in advantageous ways. Alchemy never created a panacea or transmuted base metals into gold because those goals proved to be based on fundamentally flawed theories and premises. Both alchemy and sustainability science can be understood as systems or strategies which individuals and societies can use to organise and manage themselves in a complex world filled with dynamic problems. ![]() Although sustainability may appear to be a thoroughly twenty-first century goal, sustainability science concepts and goals such as balance, endurance, order and change, reach back at least as far as the proto-scientific investigations of alchemy. The word “sustainable” débuted in 1987 but has since become a hot topic issue, both for scientific research and wider society.
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