Abstract
For centuries, the conception of natural elements in the Western world was dominated by Aristotle’s four elements-theory. In addition of being part of university curricula, such theory scaffolded the alchemical conception of matter. Starting from the seventeenth century, mechanical philosophers claimed that different material qualities were due to quantitative differences among their components. This new understanding of matter – also informed by the revival of classic atomism – paved the way to the emergence of chemistry.
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Garau, R. (2021). Elements, Renaissance Theory of Natural. In: Sgarbi, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02848-4_62-1
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