Out of our minds : reason and madness in the exploration of Central Africa : the Ad. E. Jensen lectures at the Frobenius Institut, University of Frankfurt

Explorers and ethnographers in Africa during the period of colonial expansion are usually assumed to have been guided by rational aims such as the desire for scientific knowledge, fame, or financial gain. This book, the culmination of many years of research on nineteenth-century exploration in Central Africa, provides a new view of those early European explorers and their encounters with Africans. Out of Our Minds shows explorers were far from rational--often meeting their hosts in extraordinary states influenced by opiates, alcohol, sex, fever, fatigue, and violence. Johannes Fabian presents fascinating and little-known source material, and points to its implications for our understanding of the beginnings of modern colonization. At the same time, he makes an important contribution to current debates about the intellectual origins and nature of anthropological inquiry. Drawing on travel accounts--most of them Belgian and German--published between 1878 and the start of World War I, Fabian describes encounters between European travelers and the Africans they met. He argues that the loss of control experienced by these early travelers actually served to enhance cross-cultural understanding, allowing the foreigners to make sense of strange facts and customs. Fabian's provocative findings contribute to a critique of narrowly scientific or rationalistic visions of ethnography, illuminating the relationship between travel and intercultural understanding, as well as between imperialism and ethnographic knowledge.

Explorers and ethnographers in Africa during the period of colonial expansion are usually assumed to have been guided by rational aims such as the desire for scientific knowledge, fame, or financial gain. This book, the culmination of many years of research on nineteenth-century exploration in Central Africa, provides a new view of those early European explorers and their encounters with Africans. Out of Our Minds shows explorers were far from rational—often meeting their hosts in extraordinary states influenced by opiates, alcohol, sex, fever, fatigue, and violence. Johannes Fabian presents fascinating and little-known source material, and points to its implications for our understanding of the beginnings of modern colonization. At the same time, he makes an important contribution to current debates about the intellectual origins and nature of anthropological inquiry.

Drawing on travel accounts—most of them Belgian and German—published between 1878 and the start of World War I, Fabian describes encounters between European travelers and the Africans they met. He argues that the loss of control experienced by these early travelers actually served to enhance cross-cultural understanding, allowing the foreigners to make sense of strange facts and customs. Fabian's provocative findings contribute to a critique of narrowly scientific or rationalistic visions of ethnography, illuminating the relationship between travel and intercultural understanding, as well as between imperialism and ethnographic knowledge.

Explorers and ethnographers in Africa during the period of colonial expansion are usually assumed to have been guided by rational aims such as the desire for scientific knowledge, fame, or financial gain. This book, the culmination of many years of research on nineteenth-century exploration in Central Africa, provides a new view of those early European explorers and their encounters with Africans. __Out of Our Minds__ shows explorers were far from rational--often meeting their hosts in extraordinary states influenced by opiates, alcohol, sex, fever, fatigue, and violence. Johannes Fabian presents fascinating and little-known source material, and points to its implications for our understanding of the beginnings of modern colonization. At the same time, he makes an important contribution to current debates about the intellectual origins and nature of anthropological inquiry. Drawing on travel accounts--most of them Belgian and German--published between 1878 and the start of World War I, Fabian describes encounters between European travelers and the Africans they met. He argues that the loss of control experienced by these early travelers actually served to enhance cross-cultural understanding, allowing the foreigners to make sense of strange facts and customs. Fabian's provocative findings contribute to a critique of narrowly scientific or rationalistic visions of ethnography, illuminating the relationship between travel and intercultural understanding, as well as between imperialism and ethnographic knowledge. Explorers and ethnographers in Africa during the period of colonial expansion are usually assumed to have been guided by rational aims such as the desire for scientific knowledge, fame, or financial gain. This book, the culmination of many years of research on nineteenth-century exploration in central Africa, provides a new view of those early European explorers and their encounters with Africans. Out of Our Minds shows that explorers were far from rational -- often meeting their hosts in extraordinary states influenced by opiates, alcohol, sex, fever, fatigue, and violence. Johannes Fabian presents fascinating and little-known source material, and points to its implications for our understanding of the beginnings of modern colonization. At the same time he makes an important contribution to current debates about the intellectual origins and the nature of anthropological inquiry. Contents 8 List of Illustrations 10 Preface and Acknowledgments 12 1. Introduction 18 2. Travel, Exploration, and Occupation 40 3. Living and Dying 69 4. Drives, Emotions, and Moods 95 5. Things, Sounds, and Spectacles 119 6. Communicating and Commanding 145 7. Charisma, Cannabis, and Crossing Africa: Explorers in the Land of Friendship 168 8. Making Knowledge: The Senses and Cognition 197 9. Making Sense: Knowledge and Understanding 226 10. Presence and Representation 257 11. Epilogue 288 Appendix: Expeditions 300 Notes 304 Bibliography 320 Index 328 A 328 B 328 C 329 D 330 E 331 F 331 G 332 H 332 I 332 J 332 K 332 L 333 M 333 N 334 O 334 P 334 Q 335 R 335 S 335 T 335 U 336 V 336 W 336 Y 337 Z 337 Travel, Exploration, And Occupation -- Living And Dying -- Drives, Emotions, And Moods -- Things, Sounds, And Spectacles -- Communicating And Commanding -- Charisma, Cannabis, And Crossing Africa: Explorers In The Land Of Friendship -- Making Knowledge: The Senses And Cognition -- Making Sense: Knowledge And Understanding -- Presence And Representation. Johannes Fabian. The Ad. E. Jensen Lectures At The Frobenius Institut, University Of Frankfurt Includes Bibliographical References (p. 303-310) And Index. 'Out of Our Minds' shows explorers and ethnographers in Africa during colonial expansion were far from rational - often meeting their hosts in extraordinary states influenced by opiates, alcohol, sex, fever, fatigue, and violence A few years ago, when Europe was stirred by the striking adventures of some of our later travellers.