The Sceptical Chymist

With the Insights of the science of Newton's generation and beyond, the tide would turn in favour of the view that the universe is indeed made from basic building blocks. | Newton's contemporary, Robert Boyle, was perhaps the first to question the Aristotelian view of matter, which had dominated for nearly 2000 years. | These might be good descriptions of the states of matter but not of the constituents. | In his book, The Sceptical Chymist, Boyle challenged the idea that matter was made up of the four elements of fire, earth air and water. | Instead he Argument for a new list of chemical elements.