Imperial Unknowns : The French and British in the Mediterranean, 1650–1750

In this major new study, the history of the French and British trading empires in the early modern Mediterranean is used as a setting to test a new approach to the history of ignorance: how can we understand the very act of ignoring - in political, economic, religious, cultural and scientific communication - as a fundamental trigger that sets knowledge in motion? Zwierlein explores whether the Scientific Revolution between 1650 and 1750 can be understood as just one of what were in fact many simultaneous epistemic movements and considers the role of the European empires in this phenomenon. Deconstructing central categories like the mercantilist 'national', the exchange of 'confessions' between Western and Eastern Christians and the bridging of cultural gaps between European and Ottoman subjects, Zwierlein argues that understanding what was not known by historical agents can be just as important as the history of knowledge itself. "In this major new study, the history of the French and British trading empires in the early modern Mediterranean is used as a setting to test a new approach to the history of ignorance: how can we understand the very act of ignoring--in political, economic, religious, cultural and scientific communication--as a fundamental trigger that sets knowledge in motion? Zwierlein explores whether the Scientific Revolution between 1650 and 1750 can be understood as just one of what were in fact many simultaneous epistemic movements and considers the role of the European empires in this phenomenon. Deconstructing central categories like the mercantilist 'national, ' the exchange of 'confessions' between Western and Eastern Christians and the bridging of cultural gaps between European and Ottoman subjects, Zwierlein argues that understanding what was not known by historical agents can be just as important as the history of knowledge itself"--Résumé de l'éditeur "In this major new study, the history of the French and British trading empires in the early modern Mediterranean is used as a setting to test a new approach to the history of ignorance: how can we understand the very act of ignoring--in political, economic, religious, cultural and scientific communication--as a fundamental trigger that sets knowledge in motion? Zwierlein explores whether the Scientific Revolution between 1650 and 1750 can be understood as just one of what were in fact many simultaneous epistemic movements and considers the role of the European empires in this phenomenon. Deconstructing central categories like the mercantilist 'national, ' the exchange of 'confessions' between Western and Eastern Christians and the bridging of cultural gaps between European and Ottoman subjects, Zwierlein argues that understanding what was not known by historical agents can be just as important as the history of knowledge itself"--Provided by publisher Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 2 Title - complete......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Figures......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Notes on Conventions......Page 12 Abbreviations......Page 13 Introduction......Page 16 1. Politics and Economy: Nationalizing Economics......Page 35 2. Religion: Empires Ignoring, Learning, Forgetting Religions......Page 132 3. History: How to Cope with Unconscious Ignorance......Page 200 4. Science: Mediterranean Empires and Scientific Unknowns......Page 270 Conclusion......Page 325 Bibliography......Page 340 Index......Page 394 At the intersection of the history of knowledge and science, of European trade empires and the Mediterranean, this major new empirical study presents a new method for understanding the history of ignorance across politics, religion, history and science during the early Enlightenment. This book offers a new approach to understanding the history of ignorance across politics, religion, history and science during the early Enlightenment This work offers a new approach to understanding the history of ignorance across politics, religion, history and science during the early Enlightenment