From Medieval Alchemy to the Quest for the Absolute: The Evolution of Knowledge in the Figure of Faust

This article examines the transformation of medieval alchemy from a spiritual and symbolic practice into one of the most powerful cultural matrices of the modern age, culminating in the myth of Faust. In its medieval form, alchemy was not limited to the pursuit of material transmutation but also embodied a path of inner perfection, where the laboratory mirrored the soul and the magnum opus represented a spiritual ascent. Through the rediscovery of Hermetic writings, the reception of Arabic manuscripts, and the philosophical re-elaborations of figures such as Arnaldus of Villanova and Paracelsus, alchemy progressively shifted from a sacred science to an operative, anthropocentric and experimental knowledge. This transition laid the foundations for Renaissance magic and for the complex intertwining of theology, astrology and natural philosophy in the works of Marsilio Ficino and other humanists. The Faustian myth emerges in this context as the emblem of a new conception of knowledge: no longer oriented toward redemption and inner transformation, but toward mastery of nature, infinite aspiration and the promise of power. From Marlowe to Goethe, the figure of Faust embodies the passage from the alchemist-priest to the modern philosopher, reflecting both the fascination and the dangers of an unbounded pursuit of truth. In this sense, the myth continues to resonate today as an inexhaustible allegory of the modern condition.