Editing Classical element (section)

==Modern history==
{{anchor|Modern elements}}
[[File:Artus Wolffort - The Four Elements.jpg|thumb|[[Artus Wolffort]], ''The Four Elements'', before 1641]]

===Chemical element===
{{See also|Chemical element#History}}

The [[Physics (Aristotle)|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 [[History of the periodic table#Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier|list of elements]] would no longer refer to classical elements.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lavoisier |first=Antoine |url=http://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/index.html |title=Classic Chemistry |editor-last=Giunta |editor-first=Carmen |chapter=Elements of Chemistry |chapter-url=http://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/lavtable.html}}</ref> Some modern scientists see a parallel between the classical elements and the four [[state of matter|states of matter]]: [[solid]], [[liquid]], [[gas]] and weakly ionized [[Plasma (physics)|plasma]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Kikuchi |first=Mitsuru |title=Frontiers in Fusion Research: Physics and Fusion |page=12 |year=2011 |place=London |publisher=Springer Science and Business Media |isbn=978-1-84996-411-1 |quote=Empedocles (495–435 BC) proposed that the world was made of earth, water, air, and fire, which may correspond to solid, liquid, gas, and weakly ionized plasma. Surprisingly, this idea may catch the essence.}}</ref>

Modern science recognizes classes of [[elementary particle]]s which have no substructure (or rather, particles that are not made of other particles) and [[composite particle]]s having substructure (particles made of other particles).

===Western astrology===
{{anchor|Elements in western astrology and tarot}}
{{Main|Astrology and the classical elements}}
{{Multiple_image
| perrow            = 2
| width             = 80
| image1            = Alchemical fire symbol (heavy red).svg
| caption1          = Fire
| alt1              = 🜂
| image2            = Alchemical air symbol (heavy yellow).svg
| caption2          = Air
| alt2              = 🜁
| image3            = Alchemical water symbol (heavy blue).svg
| caption3          = Water
| alt3              = 🜄
| image4            = Alchemical earth symbol (heavy green).svg
| caption4          = Earth
| alt4              = 🜃
| footer            = The four elements and commonly associated colours
}}

Western [[astrology]] uses the four [[astrology and the classical elements|classical elements]] in connection with [[natal chart|astrological chart]]s and [[horoscopes]]. The twelve [[Astrological signs|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.{{sfnp|Tester|1999|pp=59–61, 94}}

===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."{{sfnp|Dijksterhuis|1969|p=71}} [[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".{{sfnp|Russell|1991|p=173}}