Aether (classical element)
For other uses, see Aether (disambiguation).Aether (also spelled
ether) is a concept used in ancient and medieval
science as a
substance. The
aether was believed to be the substance which filled the region of the universe above the
terrestrial sphere.
Aristotle included it as a fifth
element distinct from the other four,
Earth,
Water,
Air, and
Fire. Aether was also called
quintessence (from
quinta essentia, "fifth element"). Does the ether exist? Einstein's theory of special relativity suggests that the question is irrelevant. Certainly no one thinks today that a solid medium pervades space. On the other hand, it is widely believed that there is no real vacuum. Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson detected in 1964 the cosmic background radiation, a leftover of the big bang. This radiation is pervasive and basically the same in all directions. It is possible to measure Earth's movement against this background radiation. As it turns out, Earth moves.
The word
aether () in
Homeric Greek means "pure, fresh air" or "clear sky", imagined in
Greek mythology to be the pure essence where the gods lived and which they breathed, analogous to the
breathed by mortals (also personified as a deity,
Aether, the son of
Erebus and
Nyx). It corresponds to the concept of
akasha in Hindu philosophy. It is related to "to incinerate"
[Pokorny, Julius (1959). Indogermanisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, s.v. ai-dh-.], also intransitive "to burn, to shine" (related is the name
Aithiopes (
Ethiopians), meaning "people with a burnt (black) visage". See also
Empyrean.
Aristotle added
aether to the system of the
classical elements of
Ionic philosophy as the "fifth element" (the
quintessence), on the principle that the four terrestrial elements were subject to change and moved naturally in straight lines while no change had been observed in the celestial regions and the heavenly bodies moved in circles. In Aristotle's system
aether had no qualities (was neither hot, cold, wet, nor dry), was incapable of change (with the exception of change of place), and by its nature moved in circles.
[G. E. R. Lloyd, Aristotle: The Growth and Structure of his Thought, Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Pr., 1968, pp. 133-139, ISBN 0-521-09456-9.] Medieval scholastic philosophers granted
aether changes of density, in which the bodies of the planets were considered to be denser than the medium which filled the rest of the universe.
[E. Grant, Planets, Stars, & Orbs: The Medieval Cosmos, 1200-1687, Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Pr., 1994, pp. 422-428, ISBN 0-521-56509-X.] Robert Fludd stated that the aether was of the character that it was
"subtler than light". Fludd cites the
3rd century view of
Plotinus, concerning the aether as penetrative and non-material.
[Robert Fludd, "Mosaical Philosophy". London, Humphrey Moseley, 1659. Pg 221.]Modern understanding of
electromagnetism including
Einstein's
particle theory of light and various scientific experiments of
general relativity has
removed the need for a substance like aether to fill the otherwise empty parts of the universe.
Newton's and
Maxwell's aether model (the latter being a
"classic static aether") were both developed from this classical element. However, the
null result of the
Michelson-Morley experiment led (from 1887 onwards) to the decline of an aether model's wide acceptance. Albert Einstein, in an interpretation he offered for his theory of special relativity, dismissed it, as per
Occam's razor; and, though he later reinstated a logical need for an aether in a commentary on his theory of general relativity,
most modern theories do not include this classical element.
* Also a planet in the video game
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is named
Aether. Aether is a strange
planet that was hit by a radioactive meteor, causing it to split into two worlds, consisting of light world and a dark world.
* In the video game
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Occult scrolls are items that present a skill to a character depending on that character's class. The skill taught to the Lord and Hero classes (despite there being no playable Heroes in the game) is called Aether. Aether is a combination of the effects of the Occult skills "Sol", "Luna", and to some extent, "Astra", taught to Paladins/Valkyries, Generals/Halberdiers, and Swordmasters respectively. Sol (representing the
Sun), Luna (representing the
Moon), and Astra (representing the
stars) are often linked to Aether in alchemy (Aether representing the cosmos) due to the three being cosmic beings. The ability also, at one point, restores hit points, which are considered a life force in RPG's.
General
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FAQ - The Ancient Elements of Nature Ancient proto-scientific conceptualisations of the domain of nature into its constituent elements ... Earth, Water, Air, Fire and the Aether.
