The philosopher's stone

The Philosopher's Stone

Notes 18/7/00

London November - December 1716
Caroline of Anspach (Princess of Wales), on hearing of the death of her onetime tutor, Leibniz, falls into a troubled sleep. She dreams that she is back in the library in Hanover. In the library, the shades of Leibniz and Electoress Sophia are joined in animated conversation with other dead philosophers...

DANTE (explaining the polysemous readings of a text)

LIEBNIZ & SOPHIA Introduce Caroline to the philosophers.

BOYLE (asks for news of Newton)

LIEBNIZ & BOYLE (argument)

CAROLINE defends both Newton and Liebniz, attempting again a reconcilliation

SOPHIA suggests a test. Liebniz and Boyle should set a problem for Caroline to solve. If she succeeds, Liebniz and Boyle will agree limit their discussions to religion and politics? Also, Sophia will consider Caroline her worthy successor.

BOYLE choses the subject of alchemy.

LIEBNIZ choses the test to be in the form of Dante's polysemous readings.

CAROLINE

I. Literal (Paracelcus)
- IIa. Allegorical "And you: my tongue that makes my mouth a mint, And stamps my thoughts to coin them words by art," ("Unquiet thoughts", Dowland, 1597) Newton as master of the mint
- IIb. Moral (Llull and Euclid)
- IIc. Anagogical ("The Elixir", George Herbert (1593-1633))

Notes 16/7/00

"Man is nobler for his knowledge
than for the gold and goods he possesses,
even though these be gained with great good will."
(Ramón Llull, The Hundred Names of God.)

There are, however, a few legends. A wealthy man once asked Euclid to tutor him in geometry. In the first lesson, Euclid explained that a point hath no dimension, a line hath only length, two lines intersect at a point, parallel lines never meet, and a few other elementary definitions and propositions. When the lesson was finished, the man asked, "Okay, I think I understand all that. But what can I do with it? How can I make a profit with it?" Euclid turned to his slave and said, "Give the man a few pennies, because he insists on profiting from knowledge."
(From Elmer Elevator's Discount Prep)

Notes for The Philosophers' Stone (10/7/00)

Dante's many-senses. Polysemous

I. Literal
II. Allegorical
- a. Allegorical
- b. Moral
- c. Anagogical (Spiritual / relating to the soul)

"When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from the barbarous people, Judea was made his sanctuary, Israel his dominion" Psalm 113:1-2

I. the departure of the sons of Israel from Egypt at the time of Moses.
- IIa. our redemption through Christ.
- IIb. the conversion of the soul from the sorrow and misery of sin into the state of grace.
- IIc. the departure of the sanctified soul from bondage to the corruption of this world into the freedom of eternal glory.

Source: Umberto Eco?

Hence:

"The philosopher's stone allows one to tranform base metal into gold and turn water into the elixir of eternal life"

I. There exists a stone that can turn lead, copper, iron, etc.. into gold and create the water of eternal life.
- IIa. Base metal is not only valued in itself, but also in the uses than can be found for it by the lover-of-wisdom. The philosophers' stone, their jewel, their prize, is wisdom. Wisdom can change the value of many things.
- IIb. In reaching for jewels, one finds dust.
- IIc. Eternal life within the culture of word.

Philo-Sophie (lit. lover of widsom)?
char. Leibniz and his patron Electress Sophia Newton and Alchemy

"Sparkles this stone, as it was wont?" SHAK, Cori. (SOED) (The virtue, honour of a lady?)

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Created 16/7/00
Last modified 30/8/01