Luxury, sensibility, climate and taste : eighteenth-century worldwide racialisation of difference
In my doctoral dissertation I explore the key role played by the eighteenth-century enlightened narrative of civilisation in the shaping of a Eurocentric/racist construction of the world. I do this by analysing how, in sources from the realms of moral philosophy and natural history, the intertwining discourses of luxury, sensibility, taste and climate that fuelled the narrative of civilisation created an understanding of human nature that made eighteenth-century scientific racism possible. The entire non-European world (the East, Africa and America) was presented as a space inhabited by unnatural bodies. Although Europe itself was not characterised as monolithic, (these writers saw a clear boundary between Northern and Southern Europe), the joint efforts of both moral philosophers and natural historians clearly distinguished Europe and the European body from the rest of the world. The Eurocentric/racist eighteenth-century construction of the world was so powerful in naturalising the European human and national prototype as a universal normative standard that it even found agents in other continents who were willing to argue that they too belonged to the European civilisation. Even those whom Europeans explicitly
Cadelo Buitrago, Andrea
CB History of civilization ; D History (General) ; HT Communities. Classes. Races
Luxury, sensibility, climate and taste : eighteenth-century worldwide racialisation of difference. In my doctoral dissertation I explore the key role played by the eighteenth-century enlightened narrative of civilisation in the shaping of a Eurocentric/racist construction of the world. I do this by analysing how, in sources from the realms of moral philosophy and natural history, the intertwining discourses of luxury, sensibility, taste and climate that fuelled the narrative of civilisation created an understanding of human nature that made eighteenth-century scientific racism possible. The entire non-European world (the East, Africa and America) was presented as a space inhabited by unnatural bodies. Although Europe itself was not characterised as monolithic, (these writers saw a clear boundary between Northern and Southern Europe), the joint efforts of both moral philosophers and natural historians clearly distinguished Europe and the European body from the rest of the world. The Eurocentric/racist eighteenth-century construction of the world was so powerful in naturalising the European human and national prototype as a universal normative standard that it even found agents in other continents who were willing to argue that they too belonged to the European civilisation. Even those whom Europeans explicitly
luxury sensibility climate taste eighteenth_century worldwide difference doctoral explore key_role play eighteenth_century narrative civilisation shape eurocentric racist construction world analysing source realms moral_philosophy natural_history intertwine discourse luxury sensibility taste climate fuel narrative civilisation create human_nature make eighteenth_century scientific racism possible entire non_european world east africa america present space inhabited unnatural body although europe characterise monolithic writer saw clear boundary northern southern europe joint effort moral philosopher natural historian clearly distinguish europe european body rest_world eurocentric racist eighteenth_century construction world powerful naturalising european human national prototype universal normative standard even find agent continent willing argue belong european civilisation even europeans explicitly