Tria principia - Revision history

Odyssee at 08:49, 20 December 2021

2021-12-20T08:49:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:49, 20 December 2021
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	[[File:Paracelsus01.jpg\|thumb\|[[w:Theophrast von Hohenheim\|Theophrast von Hohenheim]], called [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]] first publicly presented the doctrine of the ''Tria Principia'' in mature form.]]		[[File:Paracelsus01.jpg\|thumb\|[[w:Theophrast von Hohenheim\|Theophrast von Hohenheim]], called [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]] first publicly presented the doctrine of the ''Tria Principia'' in mature form.]]

	The '''~~Tria Principia~~''' ({{Latin}} for the '''''three principles'''''), occasionally also referred to as the '''three philosophical elements''', are an important basic concept of late medieval or early modern [[alchemy]], which was derived from the [[four-element doctrine]] in a complementary and expanding manner, and can only be found in a clear, mature form in [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]] (1493 - 1541)<ref>R. Hooykaas: ''Chemical Trichotomy before Paracelsus?'', Arch. Internat. d’Hist. des Sciences, 1949, XXVIII, 1063 - 1074</ref><ref>"A further significant example is the ''Tria Prima'': Salt, Sulphur and Mercury which are supposed to be the principal constituents of all objects. This trichotomy is largely an original Paracelsian conception». At all events it was Paracelsus who inculcated and applied it in detail. His alchemist predecessors had preferred such dichotomic divisions as male-female, active-passive, Sulphur-Mercury. The ''Salia'' of metals had been discussed - but not in the Paracelsian sense of a third principle; they rather indicated a state of hardening which called for solution. It is also true that the ''Latin Geber'' speaks of the ''Tria Principia'' of metals, namely Sulphur, ''Argentum Vivum'' and Arsenic – but in this Arsenic occupied no position similar to that of ''Sal'' in the Paracelsian scheme.<br>		The '''tria principia''' or '''tria prima''' ({{Latin}} for the '''''three principles''''' or '''''three primes'''''), occasionally also referred to as the '''three philosophical elements''', are an important basic concept of late medieval or early modern [[alchemy]], which was derived from the [[four-element doctrine]] in a complementary and expanding manner, and can only be found in a clear, mature form in [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]] (1493 - 1541)<ref>R. Hooykaas: ''Chemical Trichotomy before Paracelsus?'', Arch. Internat. d’Hist. des Sciences, 1949, XXVIII, 1063 - 1074</ref><ref>"A further significant example is the ''Tria Prima'': Salt, Sulphur and Mercury which are supposed to be the principal constituents of all objects. This trichotomy is largely an original Paracelsian conception». At all events it was Paracelsus who inculcated and applied it in detail. His alchemist predecessors had preferred such dichotomic divisions as male-female, active-passive, Sulphur-Mercury. The ''Salia'' of metals had been discussed - but not in the Paracelsian sense of a third principle; they rather indicated a state of hardening which called for solution. It is also true that the ''Latin Geber'' speaks of the ''Tria Principia'' of metals, namely Sulphur, ''Argentum Vivum'' and Arsenic – but in this Arsenic occupied no position similar to that of ''Sal'' in the Paracelsian scheme.<br>
	No chemical or alchemical predecessor of the Paracelsian scheme is therefore readily demonstrable. There is no doubt, however, that it is in accordance with neo-Platonic and Hermetic tradition. Paracelsus himself referred to Hermes who called the soul the intermediary between Spirit and Body. This soul Paracelsus identified with Sulphur : "the soul is the sulphur which reconciles two opposites and joins them together into one". Hermes rightly said, Paracelsus adds, that all seven metals, and also the "tinctures" and the Philosophers' Stone derive from three substances which he calls spirit, soul and body. These are indeed the ''Three Principles''."<br>		No chemical or alchemical predecessor of the Paracelsian scheme is therefore readily demonstrable. There is no doubt, however, that it is in accordance with neo-Platonic and Hermetic tradition. Paracelsus himself referred to Hermes who called the soul the intermediary between Spirit and Body. This soul Paracelsus identified with Sulphur : "the soul is the sulphur which reconciles two opposites and joins them together into one". Hermes rightly said, Paracelsus adds, that all seven metals, and also the "tinctures" and the Philosophers' Stone derive from three substances which he calls spirit, soul and body. These are indeed the ''Three Principles''."<br>
	Allen G. Debus: ''Alchemy and early modern chemistry: papers from Ambix'', Jeremy Mills Publishing, 2004</ref>. The three philosophical principles or substances are: [[Sulphur]] (encompassing [[fire]] and [[air]] and therefore called "[[fire air]]" by the alchemists), [[Mercurius]] ([[water]]) and [[Sal]] ([[earth element]]). Sulphur stands for the combustible, Mercurius for the volatile-liquid and Sal for the solid, form-giving, stable principle. Strictly speaking, the Tria Principa are not substances but processes, i.e. the [[sulphur process]], the [[mercury process]] and the [[salt process]], whose material carriers can be different substances.		Allen G. Debus: ''Alchemy and early modern chemistry: papers from Ambix'', Jeremy Mills Publishing, 2004</ref>. The three philosophical principles or substances are: [[Sulphur]] (encompassing [[fire]] and [[air]] and therefore called "[[fire air]]" by the alchemists), [[Mercurius]] ([[water]]) and [[Sal]] ([[earth element]]). Sulphur stands for the combustible, Mercurius for the volatile-liquid and Sal for the solid, form-giving, stable principle. Strictly speaking, the Tria Principa are not substances but processes, i.e. the [[sulphur process]], the [[mercury process]] and the [[salt process]], whose material carriers can be different substances.

Odyssee at 06:21, 8 May 2021

2021-05-08T06:21:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:21, 8 May 2021
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			[[File:Paracelsus01.jpg\|thumb\|[[w:Theophrast von Hohenheim\|Theophrast von Hohenheim]], called [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]] first publicly presented the doctrine of the ''Tria Principia'' in mature form.]]

	The '''Tria Principia''' ({{Latin}} for the '''''three principles'''''), occasionally also referred to as the '''three philosophical elements''', are an important basic concept of late medieval or early modern [[alchemy]], which was derived from the [[four-element doctrine]] in a complementary and expanding manner, and can only be found in a clear, mature form in [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]] (1493 - 1541)<ref>R. Hooykaas: ''Chemical Trichotomy before Paracelsus?'', Arch. Internat. d’Hist. des Sciences, 1949, XXVIII, 1063 - 1074</ref><ref>"A further significant example is the ''Tria Prima'': Salt, Sulphur and Mercury which are supposed to be the principal constituents of all objects. This trichotomy is largely an original Paracelsian conception». At all events it was Paracelsus who inculcated and applied it in detail. His alchemist predecessors had preferred such dichotomic divisions as male-female, active-passive, Sulphur-Mercury. The ''Salia'' of metals had been discussed - but not in the Paracelsian sense of a third principle; they rather indicated a state of hardening which called for solution. It is also true that the ''Latin Geber'' speaks of the ''Tria Principia'' of metals, namely Sulphur, ''Argentum Vivum'' and Arsenic – but in this Arsenic occupied no position similar to that of ''Sal'' in the Paracelsian scheme.<br>		The '''Tria Principia''' ({{Latin}} for the '''''three principles'''''), occasionally also referred to as the '''three philosophical elements''', are an important basic concept of late medieval or early modern [[alchemy]], which was derived from the [[four-element doctrine]] in a complementary and expanding manner, and can only be found in a clear, mature form in [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]] (1493 - 1541)<ref>R. Hooykaas: ''Chemical Trichotomy before Paracelsus?'', Arch. Internat. d’Hist. des Sciences, 1949, XXVIII, 1063 - 1074</ref><ref>"A further significant example is the ''Tria Prima'': Salt, Sulphur and Mercury which are supposed to be the principal constituents of all objects. This trichotomy is largely an original Paracelsian conception». At all events it was Paracelsus who inculcated and applied it in detail. His alchemist predecessors had preferred such dichotomic divisions as male-female, active-passive, Sulphur-Mercury. The ''Salia'' of metals had been discussed - but not in the Paracelsian sense of a third principle; they rather indicated a state of hardening which called for solution. It is also true that the ''Latin Geber'' speaks of the ''Tria Principia'' of metals, namely Sulphur, ''Argentum Vivum'' and Arsenic – but in this Arsenic occupied no position similar to that of ''Sal'' in the Paracelsian scheme.<br>
	No chemical or alchemical predecessor of the Paracelsian scheme is therefore readily demonstrable. There is no doubt, however, that it is in accordance with neo-Platonic and Hermetic tradition. Paracelsus himself referred to Hermes who called the soul the intermediary between Spirit and Body. This soul Paracelsus identified with Sulphur : "the soul is the sulphur which reconciles two opposites and joins them together into one". Hermes rightly said, Paracelsus adds, that all seven metals, and also the "tinctures" and the Philosophers' Stone derive from three substances which he calls spirit, soul and body. These are indeed the ''Three Principles''."<br>		No chemical or alchemical predecessor of the Paracelsian scheme is therefore readily demonstrable. There is no doubt, however, that it is in accordance with neo-Platonic and Hermetic tradition. Paracelsus himself referred to Hermes who called the soul the intermediary between Spirit and Body. This soul Paracelsus identified with Sulphur : "the soul is the sulphur which reconciles two opposites and joins them together into one". Hermes rightly said, Paracelsus adds, that all seven metals, and also the "tinctures" and the Philosophers' Stone derive from three substances which he calls spirit, soul and body. These are indeed the ''Three Principles''."<br>
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	== Basic character of the three principles ==		== Basic character of the three principles ==

	The following is a tabular overview of the basic characteristics of the three principles, which is based - with some modifications and extensions - on the account of the [[chemist]]s and historian of chemistry [[w:John Read (chemist)\|John Read]] (1884-1963)<ref>Read gives the following assignment going back to [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]], in which ''Mercurius'' stands for the spirit and ''Sulphur'' for the soul mediating between spirit and body (salt):		The following is a tabular overview of the basic characteristics of the three principles, which is based - with some modifications and extensions - on the account of the [[w:chemist\|chemist]]s and historian of chemistry [[w:John Read (chemist)\|John Read]] (1884-1963)<ref>Read gives the following assignment going back to [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]], in which ''Mercurius'' stands for the spirit and ''Sulphur'' for the soul mediating between spirit and body (salt):

	{\|align="center" width="650px"		{\|align="center" width="650px"

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 || [[Capital]] || [[Labour]] || [[Goods]]
 |}
 == Literature ==

Odyssee at 15:09, 7 May 2021

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	{{Quote\|Now I want to go back to an example with wood. This wood is a body. When you burn it, what burns is sulphur, the smoke is mercury, and what becomes ashes is salt.\| Paracelsus\|''Opus Paramirum'', First Book, Ch. 2}}		{{Quote\|Now I want to go back to an example with wood. This wood is a body. When you burn it, what burns is sulphur, the smoke is mercury, and what becomes ashes is salt.\| Paracelsus\|''Opus Paramirum'', First Book, Ch. 2}}

			== Basic character of the three principles ==

			The following is a tabular overview of the basic characteristics of the three principles, which is based - with some modifications and extensions - on the account of the [[chemist]]s and historian of chemistry [[w:John Read (chemist)\|John Read]] (1884-1963)<ref>Read gives the following assignment going back to [[w:Paracelsus\|Paracelsus]], in which ''Mercurius'' stands for the spirit and ''Sulphur'' for the soul mediating between spirit and body (salt):

			{\|align="center" width="650px"
			\|-
			! Mercurius !! Sulphur !! Sal
			\|-
			\| metallic, fusible, volatile<br>
			Volatile and unchanged in fire<br>
			[[Soul]]<br>
			[[Water]]
			\| combustible<br>
			Volatile and changes in fire<br>
			[[Spirit]]<br>
			[[fire]]/[[air]]
			\| Incombustible, persistent<br>
			contained in ash<br>
			[[Body]]<br>
			[[Earth (element)\|Earth]]
			\|}

			{{Lit\|Read, p. 27}}</ref>:


			{\|align="center" width="600px"
			\|-
			! Sulphur !! Mercurius !! Sal
			\|-
			\| fiery principle \|\| liquid principle \|\| solid principle
			\|-
			\| combustible, dissolving \|\| metallic, melting \|\| incombustible, resistant
			\|-
			\| oily, fatty \|\| alcoholic \|\| salty, earthy
			\|-
			\| [[fire\|fire,]] [[air]] \|\| [[water]] \|\| [[earth]]
			\|-
			\|\| [[spirit]] \|\| [[soul]] \|\| [[body]]
			\|-
			\| [[Metabolic-limb system]] \|\| [[Rhythmic system]] \|\| [[Nerve-sense system]]
			\|-
			\| [[Willing]] \|\| [[Feeling]] \|\| [[Thinking]]
			\|-
			\| [[Chaos]] \|\| [[Movement]] \|\| [[Form]]
			\|-
			\|\| [[Capital]] \|\| [[Labour]] \|\| [[Goods]]
			\|}

	== Literature ==		== Literature ==

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2021-05-07T12:56:00Z

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The '''Tria Principia''' ({{Latin}} for the '''''three principles'''''), occasionally also referred to as the '''three philosophical elements''', are an important basic concept of late medieval or early modern [[alchemy]], which was derived from the [[four-element doctrine]] in a complementary and expanding manner, and can only be found in a clear, mature form in [[w:Paracelsus|Paracelsus]] (1493 - 1541)<ref>R. Hooykaas: ''Chemical Trichotomy before Paracelsus?'', Arch. Internat. d’Hist. des Sciences, 1949, XXVIII, 1063 - 1074</ref><ref>"A further significant example is the ''Tria Prima'': Salt, Sulphur and Mercury which are supposed to be the principal constituents of all objects. This trichotomy is largely an original Paracelsian conception». At all events it was Paracelsus who inculcated and applied it in detail. His alchemist predecessors had preferred such dichotomic divisions as male-female, active-passive, Sulphur-Mercury. The ''Salia'' of metals had been discussed - but not in the Paracelsian sense of a third principle; they rather indicated a state of hardening which called for solution. It is also true that the ''Latin Geber'' speaks of the ''Tria Principia'' of metals, namely Sulphur, ''Argentum Vivum'' and Arsenic – but in this Arsenic occupied no position similar to that of ''Sal'' in the Paracelsian scheme.<br>
No chemical or alchemical predecessor of the Paracelsian scheme is therefore readily demonstrable. There is no doubt, however, that it is in accordance with neo-Platonic and Hermetic tradition. Paracelsus himself referred to Hermes who called the soul the intermediary between Spirit and Body. This soul Paracelsus identified with Sulphur : "the soul is the sulphur which reconciles two opposites and joins them together into one". Hermes rightly said, Paracelsus adds, that all seven metals, and also the "tinctures" and the Philosophers' Stone derive from three substances which he calls spirit, soul and body. These are indeed the ''Three Principles''."<br>
Allen G. Debus: ''Alchemy and early modern chemistry: papers from Ambix'', Jeremy Mills Publishing, 2004</ref>. The three philosophical principles or substances are: [[Sulphur]] (encompassing [[fire]] and [[air]] and therefore called "[[fire air]]" by the alchemists), [[Mercurius]] ([[water]]) and [[Sal]] ([[earth element]]). Sulphur stands for the combustible, Mercurius for the volatile-liquid and Sal for the solid, form-giving, stable principle. Strictly speaking, the Tria Principa are not substances but processes, i.e. the [[sulphur process]], the [[mercury process]] and the [[salt process]], whose material carriers can be different substances.

{{Quote|Now I want to go back to an example with wood. This wood is a body. When you burn it, what burns is sulphur, the smoke is mercury, and what becomes ashes is salt.| Paracelsus|''Opus Paramirum'', First Book, Ch. 2}}

== Literature ==

* [[w:John Read (chemist)|John Read]]: ''Prelude to Chemistry: An Outline of Alchemy, Its Literature and Relationships'', The Macmillan Company, New York 1937
* Manfred M. Junius: ''Praktisches Handbuch der Pflanzen-Alchemie. Wie man heilkräftige Essenzen, Tinkturen und Elixiere selbst zubereitet.'' Ansata-Verlag, Interlaken 1982, ISBN 978-3715700557
* [[Rudolf Steiner]]: ''Das Miterleben des Jahreslaufes in vier kosmischen Imaginationen'', [[GA 229]] (1999), ISBN 3-7274-2290-4 {{Lectures|221}}
* ''[[Beiträge zur Rudolf Steiner Gesamtausgabe]]'', Heft Nr. 118/119, Rudolf Steiner-Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach 1997 {{BE|118-119}}

{{GA}}

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Tria Principia]]
[[Category:Alchemy]]
[[de:Tria Principia]]