Alchemical Mercury: A Theory of Ambivalence
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- Synopsis
- Pinkus (Italian, French and comparative literature, University of Southern California) takes the reader on a somewhat quixotic journey through the many visions of alchemy from antiquity to the present. She points out that the derivation of the word is uncertain. But this is appropriate since the definition of alchemy is also murky. Is it science or magic? Is it something as crass as turning lead into gold, or as rarified as a spiritual rebirth? While alchemies have existed for centuries, Pinkus spends the most time on the alchemical centuries, roughly (for nothing is definite) 1500-1800. She finds alchemical thoughts in Goethe, Lavoisier, the Rosicrucians and Marx among many others. Her own philosophy, as expressed through the nebulous, contradictory attitudes of thinkers toward the concept of alchemy is given with intelligence and humor. Alchemy is a metaphor but its shifting meaning is the root of this exploration into ambivalence. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
- Copyright:
- 2010
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- ISBN-13:
- 9780804772877
- Related ISBNs:
- 9780804760324
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- Date of Addition:
- 05/16/17
- Copyrighted By:
- The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Nonfiction, Literature and Fiction, Psychology, Language Arts
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
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