Article ID: CBB085994099

Corn, Cochineal, and Quina: The “Zilsel Thesis” in a Colonial Iberian Setting (2018)

unapi

Edgar Zilsel's famous thesis, which argues that modern experimental science was born from the union of artisans and intellectuals in the 16th century, received little support when Zilsel proposed it in the 1940s. In recent years, however, with the turn toward social and cultural history of science, the “Zilsel Thesis” has undergone something of a revival as historians rethink the relevance of artisanal knowledge for the history of early modern science. This essay looks at the Zilsel Thesis in a global setting – specifically a colonial Iberian setting – and argues for its relevance in framing natural history, medicine, and the impact of science on everyday life. Using the examples of corn, quina, and cochineal, this essay argues that the agronomic, chemical, and entomological knowledge accumulated over generations of practice by indigenous practitioners was in fact artisanal knowledge that was passed on to European intellectuals in “global trading zones” to become part of the Western scientific patrimony.

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Citation URI
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Authors & Contributors
Sánchez, Antonio
Tortorici, Zeb
Few, Martha
Steele, John C.
Vasko, Timothy Bowers
Giménez-Roldán, Santiago
Concepts
Colonialism
Indigenous peoples; indigeneity
Cross-cultural interaction; cultural influence
Spain, colonies
Portugal, colonies
Crafts and craftspeople
Time Periods
Early modern
16th century
17th century
Renaissance
18th century
Modern
Places
Americas
Spain
South America
Mexico
Africa
Portugal
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