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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical element | 4/4 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T09:32:56.401003+00:00 | kb-cron |
Earth (South) represents the youth cycle, summer, the Indigenous race, and cedar medicine. Fire (East) represents the birth cycle, spring, the Asian race, and tobacco medicine. Wind/Air (North) represents the elder cycle, winter, the European race, and sweetgrass medicine. Water (West) represents the adulthood cycle, autumn, the African race, and sage medicine.
== Modern history ==
=== Chemical element ===
The Aristotelian tradition and medieval alchemy eventually gave rise to modern chemistry, scientific theories and new taxonomies. By the time of Antoine Lavoisier, for example, a list of elements would no longer refer to classical elements. Some modern scientists see a parallel between the classical elements and the four states of matter: solid, liquid, gas and weakly ionized plasma. Modern science recognises classes of elementary particles which have no substructure (or rather, particles that are not made of other particles) and composite particles having substructure (particles made of other particles).
=== Western astrology ===
Western astrology uses the four classical elements in connection with astrological charts and horoscopes. The twelve signs of the zodiac are divided into the four elements: Fire signs are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, Air signs are Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, and Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
=== Criticism === The Dutch historian of science Eduard Jan Dijksterhuis writes that the theory of the classical elements "was bound to exercise a really harmful influence. As is now clear, Aristotle, by adopting this theory as the basis of his interpretation of nature and by never losing faith in it, took a course which promised few opportunities and many dangers for science." Bertrand Russell says that Aristotle's thinking became imbued with almost biblical authority in later centuries. So much so that "Ever since the beginning of the seventeenth century, almost every serious intellectual advance has had to begin with an attack on some Aristotelian doctrine".
== See also ==
Arche – Basic proposition or assumptionPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Bagua – Eight trigrams used in Taoist cosmology Elemental – Mythic entity personifying one of the classical elements Jabir ibn Hayyan § The sulfur–mercury theory of metals – Early Islamic alchemy Periodic table – Tabular arrangement of the chemical elements Phlogiston theory – Superseded theory of combustion Prima materia – First or prime matter Qi – Vital force in traditional Chinese philosophy States of matter – Forms which matter can takePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
== Notes ==
== References ==
=== Bibliography ===
== External links == Media related to Classical elements at Wikimedia Commons Section on 4 elements in Buddhism