The Perfection of Nature: Animals, Breeding, and Race in the Renaissance

The Renaissance in Italy and the Spanish Empire was shaped by a fascination with breeding, which led to the development of ideas of race and inheritance through animal breeding. Mackenzie Cooley's book "The Perfection of Nature" provides a close reading of undertheorized notions of generation and its discontents in the more-than-human world, adding nuance and historical context to discussions of race and human and animal relations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 04 November 2022
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

The Renaissance, a time of great cultural and intellectual flourishing in Europe, is often celebrated for its emphasis on human potential and the belief that individuals could shape themselves to greatness. However, a less-known aspect of this era is the profound fascination with breeding that had a significant impact on both Renaissance Italy and the Spanish empire. In his book "The Perfection of Nature: Race, Science, and the Origins of the Modern Animal," Mackenzie Cooley delves into the intricate relationship between animal breeding, the concept of race, and the broader historical context of the early modern period.

Early modern artisanal practice provides a crucial lens through which to understand the development of the idea of race and theories of inheritance. Cooley demonstrates how animal breeding played a central role in shaping these concepts, particularly in the shadow of the Spanish empire. While one strand of the Renaissance celebrated a liberal view of human potential, another limited it by biology, reducing man to beast and prince to stud.

"Race," as Cooley explains, originally referred to animal stock honed through breeding. To those who invented the concept, race was not an inflexible category, but rather a fragile result of reproductive work. As the Spanish empire expanded, the concept of race moved from nonhuman to human animals. Cooley reveals how, as the dangerous idea of controlled reproduction was brought to life again and again, a rich, complex, and ever-shifting language of race and breeding was born.

The Perfection of Nature offers a nuanced and historical perspective on discussions of race and human and animal relations. By closely reading undertheorized notions of generation and its discontents in the more-than-human world, Cooley provides a fresh understanding of the complex interplay between science, culture, and the natural world during the Renaissance.

In conclusion, "The Perfection of Nature" is a valuable contribution to the study of early modern history and the history of science. By tracing the development of the idea of race and theories of inheritance through animal breeding, Cooley sheds light on the complex and often contradictory impulses that shaped the Renaissance and the broader early modern world. This book offers a rich and nuanced understanding of the historical context in which the concept of race was born and the ways in which it has continued to shape our understanding of human and animal relations to this day.

Weight: 708g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226822266