From the state of nature to the state of ruins: 'American race' and 'savage knowledge' according to Carl von Martius.
Raphael Uchôa
Annals of science 2022 DOI: 10.1080/00033790.2021.1990999 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | American race Carl von martius History of anthropology Natural history Savage knowledge |
| Key points | Argues that Martius articulated the notion of 'American race' through a complex natural history that integrated diverse fields, using 'ruins' as a guiding concept and 'savage knowledge' expressed in shamanic practice. |
Abstract
This study focuses on the notions of 'ruins', 'savage knowledge', and 'American race' in the works of the German naturalist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794-1868). A somewhat neglected figure in the history of anthropology and of natural history, Martius was regarded by scholars from Europe and the Americas as a leading figure in botany and ethnology in the nineteenth century. In this article, I discuss how Martius articulated: (1) the notion of American race, that is, a broad characterization of the native peoples of the Americas rooted in a complex natural history which brought together seemingly disparate fields of knowledge, such as medicine, botany, theology, philology, and mythology; (2) having ruins as a guiding concept, which helped him to make sense of American natives; and (3) savage knowledge - a concept semantically aligned to that of ruins, and among whose principal modes of expression was shamanic practice.