We know now that you can’t turn “base metals” into gold through chemical processes, but if you could, gold would no longer be scarce and therefore no more valuable than the base metals.
We know now that you can’t turn “base metals” into gold through chemical processes, but if you could, gold would no longer be scarce and therefore no more valuable than the base metals.
I always thought about it more in a metaphorical way.
“Alchemists are trying to produce gold (valuable materials) out of less valuable materials.”
Yeah nowadays that is a common interpretation, and you can try to find support for it in the mysticism with which all of the protosciences were imbued. But I really do think they were aiming for gold. Or were claiming as much, to get sponsorships and such. Kinda like how researchers nowadays will exaggerate their abilities and research goals to get grants.