Philosopher's stone v. sorcerer's stone

[Monique]

nancyaw2001 at y... wrote:
> Why did they change the title of the book/movie? In the US, a 
> philosopher is some guy dressed all in black, carrying a book by 
> Kierkegaard, wondering whether or not there is a God. (I majored in 
> anthropology and had to take a class called the Philosophy of 
>Social Science--don't ask!). 

It's my understanding that the title was changed to avoid this very 
misconception.

The Philospher's Stone is a legendary substance that alchemists and 
others have sought for ages. JKR didn't make it up. Here's a brief 
excerpt from an encyclopedia...

"The stone, also referred to as the "tincture," or the "powder" 
(Greek xerion, which passed through Latin into Arabic as elixir), was 
allied to an elixir of life, believed by alchemists to be a liquid 
derived from it. Inasmuch as alchemy was concerned not only with the 
search for a method of upgrading less valuable metals but also of 
perfecting the human soul, the philosopher's stone was thought to 
cure illnesses, prolong life, and bring about spiritual 
revitalization. The philosopher's stone, described variously, was 
sometimes said to be a common substance, found everywhere but 
unrecognized and unappreciated." (Encyc. Brit., 15th ed., 1976)

-Monique