The End of the Soul : Scientific Modernity, Atheism, and Anthropology in France

On October 19, 1876 a group of leading French citizens, joined together to form the Society of Mutual Autopsy, with the aim of proving that souls do not exist. With this group as its focus, __The End of the Soul__ is a study of science and atheism in France in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It shows that anthropology grew out of a struggle between tradition (especially Catholicism) and modernism, and that it became for many a secular religion, with such adherents as Emile Zola, Margaret Sanger, and Arthur Conan Doyle. On October 19, 1876 a group of leading French citizens, both men and women included, joined together to form an unusual group, The Society of Mutual Autopsy, with the aim of proving that souls do not exist. The idea was that, after death, they would dissect one another and (hopefully) show a direct relationship between brain shapes and sizes and the character, abilities and intelligence of individuals. This strange scientific pact, and indeed what we have come to think of as anthropology, which the group's members helped to develop, had its genesis in aggressive, evangelical atheism. With this group as its focus, __The End of the Soul__ is a study of science and atheism in France in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It shows that anthropology grew in the context of an impassioned struggle between the forces of tradition, especially the Catholic faith, and those of a more freethinking modernism, and moreover that it became for many a secular religion. Among the adherents of this new faith discussed here are the novelist Emile Zola, the great statesman Leon Gambetta, the American birth control advocate Margaret Sanger, and Arthur Conan Doyle, whose Sherlock Holmes embodied the triumph of ratiocination over credulity. Boldly argued, full of colorful characters and often bizarre battles over science and faith, this book represents a major contribution to the history of science and European intellectual history.

on October 19, 1876 A Group Of Leading French Citizens, Joined Together To Form The Society Of Mutual Autopsy, With The Aim Of Proving That Souls Do Not Exist. With This Group As Its Focus, the End Of The Soul Is A Study Of Science And Atheism In France In Late Nineteenth And Early Twentieth Centuries. It Shows That Anthropology Grew Out Of A Struggle Between Tradition (especially Catholicism) And Modernism, And That It Became For Many A Secular Religion, With Such Adherents As Emile Zola, Margaret Sanger, And Arthur Conan Doyle.

publishers Weekly

in Late 19th-century France, The Catholic Church, Which Had Once Been Revered As An Authority In Political And Religious Matters, Found Itself Under Attack From Many Sides. Chief Among Its Antagonists Was The Society Of Anthropology In Paris, Founded By Paul Broca, Many Of Whose Members Took It Upon Themselves To De-christianize The Republic And Elevate The New Scientific Study Of Human Origins To A Kind Of Religion. The Result, According To Historian Hecht (author Also Of The Forthcoming The History Of Doubt, Nov. 2003), Was The Transformation Of The Country Into A Secular Republic Where The Rules Of Science, Not The Dogma Of Religion, Reigned. Hecht Provides A Detailed Study Of This Brief But Significant Moment By Focusing On The Many Anthropologists Whose Contributions To This Young Science Helped Steer The Republic's Course Toward Freethinking Atheism. Louis-adolphe Bertillon And Georges Vacher De Lapouge Set Out To Demonstrate That Human Nature Had A Corporeal Basis Rather Than A Spiritual One. They Saw Brain And Skeletal Size As The Measure Of Human Nature, Conveniently Doing Away With The Soul. As Hecht Points Out, These Scientists Even Formed A Society Of Mutual Autopsy, Where They Waited For Fellow Members To Die In Order To Dissect Them. Once These Anthropologists Could Understand The Brain, She Observes, They Thought They Could Apply Their Findings To The Culture As A Whole And Encourage Social Progress On A Scientific Basis. Although Hecht's Academic Tone Makes For Slow Reading, She Succeeds Admirably In Providing A Fascinating Glimpse Of A Little-known Chapter In French History. Illus. (july) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

"On October 19, 1876 a group of leading French citizens, both men and women included, joined together to form an unusual group, The Society of Mutual Autopsy, with the aim of proving that souls do not exist. The idea was that, after death, they would dissect one another and (hopefully) show a direct relationship between brain shapes and sizes and the character, abilities and intelligence of individuals. This strange scientific pact, and indeed what we have come to think of as anthropology, which the group's members helped to develop, had its genesis in aggressive, evangelical atheism. Jennifer Hecht's study of science and atheism in France in late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries shows that anthropology grew in the context of an impassioned struggle between the forces of tradition, especially the Catholic faith, and those of a more freethinking modernism, one that became a secular religion for many. Among the adherents of this new faith were the novelist Emile Zola, the great statesman Leon Gambetta, the American birth control advocate Margaret Sanger, and Arthur Conan Doyle, whose Sherlock Holmes embodied the triumph of ratiocination over credulity."--Book cover Contents Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction:The End of the Soul 1. The Society of Mutual Autopsy and the Liturgy of Death 2. Evangelical Atheism and the Rise of French Anthropology 3. Scientific Materialism and the Public Response 4. Careers in Anthropology and the Bertillon Family 5. No Soul, No Morality: Vacher de Lapouge 6. Body and Soul: Léonce Manouvrier and the Disappearing Numbers 7. The Leftist Critique of Determinist Science 8. Coda Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index This book is about atheism and its relationship to science, especially the science of people-of race, gender, class, and nation-at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth.