Enlightenment Anthropology: Defining Humanity in an Era of Colonialism

In the European Enlightenment, Carl Niekerk investigates the origins of modern anthropology, highlighting how the exchange of knowledge between natural historians and public intellectuals shaped the discipline and its central debates. He argues that anthropology during this time advocated for the idea that humans belonged to a single species and that diversity could be explained through time and space, climate, and geography. However, this knowledge also contributed to the emergence of notions such as "race" and "culture" that were used to justify slavery and colonialism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 16 April 2024
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

In this captivating book, Carl Niekerk delves into the intricate origins of modern anthropology during the European Enlightenment. He highlights the profound impact of knowledge transfer between a diverse group of natural historians, public intellectuals, and visionaries, including Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon; Voltaire; Denis Diderot; Johann Friedrich Blumenbach; Immanuel Kant; and Johann Gottfried Herder. Through a meticulous examination of how these diverse voices converged and diverged, Niekerk sheds light on the formation of anthropology as we understand it today.

During this era, anthropology emerged as a "natural history of man," positing that humans across the globe belonged to a single species and that their diversity could be attributed to factors such as time, space, climate, and geography. While this knowledge offered a potential avenue for emancipation, it also played a role in perpetuating harmful notions such as "race" and "culture," which were often used to justify slavery and colonialism.

Niekerk's book is a thought-provoking exploration of the complexities and contradictions of the past. He encourages readers to engage with the ambiguities and deficiencies of the past to inform our thinking and actions in the present. This interdisciplinary work will appeal to a wide range of audiences, including anthropologists, historians, philosophers of science, intellectual historians, Germanists, and scholars of the European Enlightenment. By delving into the origins of modern anthropology, Niekerk provides valuable insights into the ongoing challenges and opportunities facing our global society.

Weight: 513g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271096865