Anatomy of Blackness - Science and Slavery in an Age of Enlightenment

Informationen zum Autor Andrew S. Curran is a professor of French at Wesleyan University and a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine in the history of medicine. He is the author of Sublime Disorder: Physical Monstrosity in Diderot’s Universe . Klappentext This volume examines the Enlightenment-era textualization of the Black African in European thought. Andrew S. Curran rewrites the history of blackness by replicating the practices of eighteenth-century readers. Surveying French and European travelogues, natural histories, works of anatomy, pro- and anti-slavery tracts, philosophical treatises, and literary texts, Curran shows how naturalists and philosophes drew from travel literature to discuss the perceived problem of human blackness within the nascent human sciences, describes how a number of now-forgotten anatomists revolutionized the era's understanding of black Africans, and charts the shift of the slavery debate from the moral, mercantile, and theological realms toward that of the "black body" itself. In tracing this evolution, he shows how blackness changed from a mere descriptor in earlier periods into a thing to be measured, dissected, handled, and often brutalized. Penetrating and comprehensive, The Anatomy of Blackness shows that, far from being a monolithic idea, eighteenth-century Africanist discourse emerged out of a vigorous, varied dialogue that involved missionaries, slavers, colonists, naturalists, anatomists, philosophers, and Africans themselves. Zusammenfassung Penetrating and comprehensive! The Anatomy of Blackness shows that! far from being a monolithic idea! eighteenth-century Africanist discourse emerged out of a vigorous! varied dialogue that involved missionaries! slavers! colonists! naturalists! anatomists! philosophers! and Africans themselves.

Product details

• Authors: Andrew S. Curran, Andrew S. (Wesleyan University) Curran, Curran Andrew S, Curran Andrew S.
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 10.05.2013
• EAN: 9781421409658
• ISBN: 978-1-4214-0965-8
• No. of pages: 328
• Subjects: Fiction > Poetry, drama; Humanities, art, music > History; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine > General; Ethnic Studies, Europe, LITERARY CRITICISM / European / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 19th Century, 18th century, c 1700 to c 1799, Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900, Black & Asian Studies, C 1700 To C 1800, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / General