Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-k7p5g Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-12T10:29:21.831Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Medical Discourse in Religious Controversy: The Case of the Critique of “Enthusiasm” on the Eve of the Enlightenment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Michael Heyd
Michael Heyd
Affiliation:
Department of HistoryThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Medicine is only a cultural system of its own. It also performs specific roles in the broader culture of society at large. This article examines the role of medical arguments in the critique of“enthusiasm” on the eve of the Enlightenment. The enthusiasts, who claimed to prophesy and to have direct divine inspiration, were increasingly see in the seventeenth century as melancholics. With the decline of humoral medicine, however, the account of melancholic disturbances – including enthusiasm – that was offered tended to be chemical, mechanistic, and clearly corpuscular. Protestant ministers, in adopting such an account of enthusiasm, also adopted a strict distinction between the realm of the mind (to which true prophecy belonged) and that of the body (in which they located the phenomena of enthusiasm). Such a distinctions served in turn to demarcate more specifically the limits between the clerical and medical professions. Yet in relegating the treatment of enthusiasts to the physicians, rather than seeing the enthusiasts as heretics, the ministers stood in danger of relying too much on a secular profession and secular arguments, thus paving the way to a more general secularization of the ideological basis of the social order.

Type
Article
Information
Science in Context , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , Spring 1995 , pp. 133 - 157
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

A Dissuasive against Enthusiasm. 1708. LondonGoogle Scholar
An Answer to the Letter of John Lacy Esq; Dated July 6, 1708 and directed to Josiah Woodward. 1708. London.Google Scholar
Bayly, Benjamin.[1707] 1780. An Essay upon Inspiration, 2 parts. London.Google Scholar
Bayly, Benjamin. 1721“Of Enthusiasm.” “In Fourteen Sermons on Various Subjects,”Sermon 9, 269–302. London.Google Scholar
Blackmore, Richard. 1717. “An Essay upon the Spleen.” In Essays upon Several Subjects, vol.2, 167– 237. London.Google Scholar
Bost, Charles. 1912. Les Prédicants protestants des Cévennes et du Bas–Languedoc, 1684–1700, 2 vols. Paris.Google Scholar
Bost, Charles. 1921and1922. “Les prophétes du Languedoc en 1701–1702.” Revue historique 136: 1–37 137: 1–31.Google Scholar
Brown, Theodore and Cohen, I. B.(eds.).1981.The Mechanical Philosophy and the “Animal Oeconomy.” Salem: Ayer Co.Google Scholar
Budé, Eugéne de. 1874. Vie de Béné Pictet, théologien genevois (1655.–1724). Lausnne: Bridel.Google Scholar
Bulkeley, Richard. 1708. An Answer to Several Treatises Lately Published on the Subject of the prophets, The First Part.London.Google Scholar
Burton, Robert.[1621]1978.The Anatomy of Melancholy. Totowa, N.J.: Rowman and Littlefield.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calamy, Edmund. 1708. A Caveat against New Prophets, in Two Sermons. London.Google Scholar
Clavis, Prophetica; or, a key to the Prophecies of Mons. Marion, and the Other Camisars. 1707. London.Google Scholar
Defoe, Daniel. [1708]1938. Defoe's Review. Edited by Arthur, W.Secord Facsimile reproduction. New York: Columbia University Press. Originally published as A Review of the State of the British Nation, vol5. no.12 12April 1708. dela Mothe, Claude Grosteste. 1708. Carectére de Nouvelles Prophécies. En quatre Sermons, Prononcez dans l'Eglise Francaise de la Savoye.Google Scholar
Descartes, René. [1897–1913] 1957–58. Oeuvres de Descartes. Edited by CharlesCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Adam, and Paul, Tannery. Paris:Vrin. Originally published by Cerf, paris.Google Scholar
Dewhurst, Kenneth. 1964. Thomas Willis as a Physicisn. William Andrews Clar Memorial Library, Los Angeles, Ca.: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Dewhurst, Kenneth eds. 1988 cultural Traditions and worlds of Knowledge:Explorations in the Sociology of Knowledge 7 Greenwich, conn JAI press.Google Scholar
Eisenstadt, S. N. and Silber, Ilana F. (eds.) 1988 cultural Traditions and worlds of Knowledge:Explorations in the Sociology of Knowledge 7 Greenwich, conn JAI press.Google Scholar
Foucault, and Michel, 1961 Folie et déraison:Histoire de la folie a lâge classsique Paris: plonGoogle Scholar
[Fowler, Edward] 1708 Reflections upon a Letter concerning Enthusiasm London.Google Scholar
Galen, 1824 De Lociis Affectis, Liber III, cap.9 C.G. kuech Galeni opera Omnia vol.8 Leipzig.Google Scholar
Galen, 1976 On the Affected parts translated from the Greek text with explanatory notes by Seigel, Rudolph E. Basel karer S.Google Scholar
Geertz, clifford 1973 The Interpretation of cultures New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Georges, Berthier 1941 “Le mécanisme Cartésien et la Physiologie au XVII siécle.” Isis 2 37–89Google Scholar
Hall, Thomas S. 1970 “Descartes' physiological Method:position, Principles, Examples.” Journal of the History of Biology 3 (1) 53–79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harth, philip 1961 Swift and Anglican Rationalism chicago University of chicago press.Google Scholar
Heyd, Michael “The Reaction to Enthusiasm in the seventeenth century:Towards an Integrative Approach.” Journal of Modern History 53 2 (June) 258–80.Google Scholar
Heyd, Michael 1984 “Robert Burton's sources on Enthusiasm and Melancholy:From a Medical Traditio to Religious controversy.” History of European Ideas 5 17–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heyd, “The new Experimental philosophy — A Manifestation of Enthusiasm or an Antidote to It?” Minerva 25 1987 423–40.Google Scholar
[Hoadly, Benjamin] 1709 A Brief vindication of the Antient prophets London.Google Scholar
Hutton, Sarah 1993 “science, philosohpy, and Atheism:Edward stillingfleet, s Defence of Religion.” In scepticism and Irreligion in the seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries. edited bypopkin, R. H. and vanderjagt, A. Leiden Brill.Google Scholar
Isler, Hansruedi 1968 Thomas willis 1621–1675, Doctor and scientist New York Haefner.Google Scholar
jackson, stanley W. 1978 “Melancholia and the waning of the Humoral Theory.” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allie sciences 33 367–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jackson, Stanley W. 1986 Melancholy and Depression: From Hippocratic Times to Modern Time New York Yale University press.Google Scholar
1989 “Burton and psychological Healing.” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied sciences 44: 160–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jaspers, karl 1949 Vom Ursprung und Ziel der Geschichte Munich piper.Google Scholar
Jobe, J. H. 1976 “Medical Theories of Melancholia in the seventeenth and Early Eighteenth centuries” clio Medica 11 4 217–31.Google ScholarPubMed
Joutard, Phillipe (ed.). 1976 Les camisards paris: Gallimard.Google Scholar
Keith, George 1707 The Magick of Quakerism: or, the chief Mysteries of Quakerism Laid Open 2nd London.Google Scholar
King, Lester S. 1978 The philosophy of Medicine: The Early Eighteenth century cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University press.Google Scholar
Klibansky, R., panofsky, E. and saxl, F. [1964] 1979 saturn and Melancholy Nendeln/Liechtenstein kraus Reprint.Google Scholar
Korshin, paul J.(ed.) 1970 Meric casaubon:A Treatise concerning Enthusiasme Gainsville, Fla.: scholars'Facsimiles and Reprints.Google Scholar
Lacy, John 1713 The General Delusion of christians, Touching the ways of God's Revealing Himself, To and by the prophets, Evinc'd from scripture and primitive Antiquity.Ad Many principles of scoffers, Atheists, Sadducees and wild Enthusiasts, Refuted.4parts.London.Google Scholar
Lindenboom, G. A. 1979 Descartes and Medicine 1979 Amsterdam: Rodolphi.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merlat, Elie 1689 Le Moyen de discerner les esprits Lausanne.Google Scholar
Mesnard, Philippe 1708 Les faux prophátes convaincus London.Google Scholar
Mesnard, pierre 1937 “L'esprit de la physiologie cartésienne.” Arcchives de philosophie 13: 181–220.Google Scholar
More, Henry [1656]1662 Enthusiasmus Triumphatus IN A collection of several philosophical writings of Henry More.Thomas, vaughan. London.Google Scholar
[N.N.] 1708 An Account of the Lives and Behaviour of the three French prophets, lately come out of the cevennes and Languedoc;And of the proceedings of the consistiory of the savoy in Relation to Them. London.Google Scholar
observations upon Elias Marion, and his Book of warnings.1707Google Scholar
O'Malley, charles D. 1953 Micchael serventus philadelphia.pa.;American philosophical society.Google Scholar
persky, Abraham P. 1959 “The changing concepts of Enthusiasm in the seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries.” Ph.D.diss stanford University.Google Scholar
Philadelphus, George. (pseud) 1708 An Answer to F.M.'s The Right way of Trying prophets London.Google Scholar
pictet, Bénédict 1721 Lettre sur ceux qui se croyent inspirés Geneva.Google Scholar
Rabb, Theodore k. 1975 The struggle for stability in Early Modern Europe New York oxford University press.Google Scholar
Remarks upon the Letter to a Lord concerning Enthusiasm.In a Letter to a Gentleman 1708 London.Google Scholar
Ruesche, Franz 1950 “Zur Leher Descartes von den 'Lebensgeistern'.” philosophisches Jahrbuch 60: 450–56.Google Scholar
schwartz, Hillel 1978 knaves, Fools, Madmen, and that subtile Feeluvium:A study of the opposition to the French prophets in England Gainsville The University presses of Florida 1706–1710.Google Scholar
schwartz, Hillel 1980 The French prophets: The History of a Millenarian Group in Eighteenth–century England Berkeley University of california press.Google Scholar
seigel, Rudolph E. 1968 Galen's system of physiology and Medicine Basel, N.Y.:S.karger.Google Scholar
sennert, Daniel 1611 Institutionum medicinae libri V.wittenberg.Google Scholar
sennert, Daniel, [1628] 1641 Medicinae Practicae Lib. I. In opera omnia.Google Scholar
sennert, Daniel 1658 Nine Books of physick and chirurgy written by that Great and learned physition. sennertus, Dr. London.Google Scholar
servetus, Michael 1790[1553] christianismi Restitutio Nuremberg.Google Scholar
Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper 1733[1708] Letter concerning Enthusiasm London.Google Scholar
shapin, steven and simon, schaffer 1989[1985] Leviathan and the Air–pump princenton, N.J.: princeton University press paper back reprint.Google Scholar
smith, John 1673[1660] “Of prophecy.” In smithselect Discourses, edited posthumously.John, worthington and first published in 1660. cambridge. Republished in 1979 by scholars'Facsimiles and Reprints. Delmar, N.Y.Google Scholar
south, Robert 1870 sermons preached upon several occasions 3 New York.Google Scholar
stillingfleet, Edward 1666[1662]. Origines sacrae or a Rational Account of the Grounds of christian Faith, as to the Truth and Divine Authority of the scriptures and the matters Therein contain'd.Google Scholar
[swift, Jonathan 1920[1710] A Discourse concerning the Mechanical operation of the spirit In a Letter to Friend.A Fragment.In A Table of a Tub. Guthkelch, and Nicol smith, D. chicago: Universtiy of chicago press 261–91.Google Scholar
[swift, Jonathan 1920[1720] A Tale of a Tub.written for the universal Improvement of Mankind In A Tale of a Tub to which is Added The Battle of the Books and the Mechanical operation of the spirit by Jonathan swift Guthkelch, A. C. and Nichol, smith oxford clarendon press.Google Scholar
Temkin, O. 1950 “on Galen's pneumatology.” Gesnerus 8 180–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, keith 1985[1971] Religion and the Decline of Magic London weidenfeld&Nicolson.Google Scholar
Trenchard, John 1709 The Natural History of superstition London.Google Scholar
Turettini, samuel 1723 Préservatif contre le fanatisme, ouréfutation des prétendus inspirés des derniers siécles Geneva.Google Scholar
vidal, Daniel 1983 Le Malheur et son prophés et sectaires en Languedoc calviniste paris payotGoogle Scholar
walker, Daniel P. 1984 “Medical spirits and God and the soul.” In spiritus, IV colloquio Internzionale del Lessico Intellettuale Europeo.Fattori, M. and Bianchi, M. Rome: Edizioni dell'Ateneo.Google Scholar
webster, C. M. 1933 “swift ans some Earlier satirists of puritan Enthusiasm.” PMLA 48 1141–53.Google Scholar
Webster, C. M. 1935 “The satiric Background of the Attack on the puritans in swift's A Tale of a Tub.” PMLA 50: 210–23.Google Scholar
wharton, Henry. 1688 The Entusiasm of the church of Rome London.Google Scholar
willis, T. 1684[1672] Two Discourses concering the soul of Brutes. In Drwillis's, practice of physick, Bening th whole works, transalted pordage, S. London First published in Latin under the title De Anima Brutorum.Google Scholar