Alchemy in Ibn Khaldūn's Concept of Medieval Science

This thesis examines Ibn Khaldūnʼs concept of alchemy in his work Mukaddimah. Its chapters dealing with alchemy were analyzed as well as works of Ibn Khaldūnʼs predecessors, whose works Ibn Khaldūn quotes. Due to this comparison it was possible to analyze Ibn Khaldūnʼs view of alchemy and to look at it in a context of the view of sciences from that time. In this work, Ibn Khaldūnʼs view of alchemy in social context is also considered as well as consequences of alchemy practicing for humanity. These thoughts can be also compared to views of other scholars, for example Ibn Ḥazm and others, who also expressed their opinions on alchemy and other occult sciences in their times