Fullmetal Alchemist question

[andthegunslinger]

I started watching the show a few weeks ago and I'm about to continue now.

Howevr I've forgotten one of the aspects of the show and want to know the answer before I continue. It MAY have been explained but it might not have. I'm about 8 episodes in and don't fancy re-watching hours of stuff I've seen just for one answer.

Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange.

So why is it Ed and his brother can do alchemy without giving something in return?

As I say it was probably touched upon but it'd be very time consuming to watch everything again and don't want to google it cos of spoilers.

:)

[Robotech Master]

I started watching the show a few weeks ago and I'm about to continue now.

Howevr I've forgotten one of the aspects of the show and want to know the answer before I continue. It MAY have been explained but it might not have. I'm about 8 episodes in and don't fancy re-watching hours of stuff I've seen just for one answer.

Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange.

So why is it Ed and his brother can do alchemy without giving something in return?

As I say it was probably touched upon but it'd be very time consuming to watch everything again and don't want to google it cos of spoilers.

:)


The law doesn't pertain to performing the alchemy. It refers to what you do with the alchemy. When you create something, you're supposed to destroy something. Ie, to create a clock from a computer you destroyed the computer. They can't create mass out of nothing, so to create anything means to borrow the equal/necessary amount of mass and materials from something else.

The Philosopher Stone's power is supposed to circumvent this rule. For instance, Father was able to recreate Al's missing arm out of nothing without thinning the rest of his armor. A normal alchemist could do that, but would need to borrow mass from the rest of his armor to create the arm, thus weakening his structure.

The only thing Ed and Al skip via their hand clap is the transmutation circle, which normally must be drawn to perform alchemy. They can make the circle internally and do Alchemy with their hand claps because they saw some of "the Truth" beyond the gate. They paid a toll appropriate to how much of the truth they saw in the gate, and after returning they are equipped with knowledge from beyond that lets them know how to do it. Same with their teacher; anyone who is taken beyond the gate gains this ability.

[Fast]

The law doesn't pertain to performing the alchemy. It refers to what you do with the alchemy. When you create something, you're supposed to destroy something. Ie, to create a clock from a computer you destroyed the computer. They can't create mass out of nothing, so to create anything means to borrow the equal/necessary amount of mass and materials from something else.

The Philosopher Stone's power is supposed to circumvent this rule. For instance, Father was able to recreate Al's missing arm out of nothing without thinning the rest of his armor. A normal alchemist could do that, but would need to borrow mass from the rest of his armor to create the arm, thus weakening his structure.

The only thing Ed and Al skip via their hand clap is the transmutation circle, which normally must be drawn to perform alchemy. They can make the circle internally and do Alchemy with their hand claps because they saw some of "the Truth" beyond the gate. They paid a toll appropriate to how much of the truth they saw in the gate, and after returning they are equipped with knowledge from beyond that lets them know how to do it. Same with their teacher; anyone who is taken beyond the gate gains this ability.

I think even then it just decreases how much you have to give up drastically not necessarily completely abolish that rule

[andthegunslinger]

Can everybody agree the philosophy on the first law of exchange is DEEEEP.

[Wjowski]

I think even then it just decreases how much you have to give up drastically not necessarily completely abolish that rule

Actually I'm pretty sure the philosopher's stone just substitutes human souls for whatever'd normally be sacrificed.

[Hiromi]

Can everybody agree the philosophy on the first law of exchange is DEEEEP.
Not really, they just took the first law of thermodynamics(conversation of energy/mass) and built alchemy off it. I'll grant you it was done in a clever way.

[andthegunslinger]

Noooooo think outside the box. It's a metaphor isn't it.

The law is intended as a juxtaposed philosophical comment. When it says "to obtain something of equal value must be lost" they're talking about more than energy mass.

[Hazard]

Noooooo think outside the box. It's a metaphor isn't it.

The law is intended as a juxtaposed philosophical comment. When it says "to obtain something of equal value must be lost" they're talking about more than energy mass.

Pretty much

You can't get something for nothing. It is a very big theme in the story.