Reflections on Newton’s Alchemy in Light of the New Historiography of Alchemy

Abstract

There are three interrelated theses from recent studies of alchemy which require our attention: (1) the (non-)demarcation of alchemy from chemistry in the seventeenth century; (2) the recognition of the influence of Victorian occultism and other foreign residues on the historical understanding of alchemy; and (3) the appreciation of the internal diversity of alchemy. This paper will attempt to outline how these theses may conflict with assumptions or conclusionswhich have been made previously about Newton’s alchemy, and to provide some preliminary suggestions regarding how one might proceed in exploring Newton’s alchemy further.